A Single Voice
by trusuprise
Summary: What would you do if the darkness tainted your light? When the Martian heir is discovered and the senshi are finally whole, will they have the power to save the Moon Kingdom from its imminent demise or will fate conquer this AU Silver Millennium too?
1. Chapter 1

A Single Voice  
Chapter 1: Trust  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

A single voice shattered the stillness of the desert.

"Martian Warrior!" The language of the red planet felt as coarse and grainy to the foreigner's tongue as the invasive red sand, yet she projected her voice into the oppressive heat. "Why have you strayed so far from the field of battle?"

The figure she had called to in the distance paused, but only momentarily; it was a second's hesitation before the small, red pony resumed its course, urged on by a white clad rider.

"Venus-sama," an aide broke rank and pulled near to his leader, cautious to remain a half pace behind his commander's horse, "I believe she is not just a warrior, but a Priestess of this planet."

The woman's blue eyes hardened. It was the aide's only clue to discern his leader's thoughts, for the customary Martian attire she wore not only shielded her face from the harsh desert elements, but also hid her normally expressive features from view.

He had no time to react to his commander's whims. In a flourish, her white steed had reared onto his hind legs and galloped forward in one fluid motion, devouring the distance that separated himself and his rider from their target with thundering hooves and flared nostrils.

The Venusian drew her agile stallion to a sliding halt in front of the small, sturdy pony, and the shaggy creature's wild, barely tamed eyes widened as he found his passage blocked. They were eyes that mirrored his master's.

'_Violet eyes?'_ Trapped in the Martian's gaze, the Venusian's anger slipped and she found it hard to tap back into, though she managed well enough.

"You are a Priestess are you not? I'm here to help you and your people." The woman raised a hand towards her head and was unsurprised to find the Martian's own dart for the hilt of her sword, passing over a bow and arrow also strapped to her person. The foreign commander didn't allow this defensive reaction to alarm her. Instead, she pulled the concealing headpiece from her face. Her long golden hair falling freely to her waist, her upturned nose thrust into the air, it was her confident smile that shone the brightest. "Why don't we join forces?"

The Priestess hesitated, though whether it was from the foreigner's gesture of friendship so brazenly displayed by the removal of her headpiece, or the incomparable beauty that was revealed through that incredibly trusting act, she wasn't sure. Long moments passed slowly, the only movements were the occasional swish of a horse's tail and the unrelenting heat waves that rippled across the red sands.

"No." The Priestess finally replied, and with a slight nudge of her left leg, her pony turned to the right and began to plod off once more.

There was a rustle of shifting sands and the Martian was unsurprised to find the Venusian blocking her path once more.

"Do you know what you're turning down?" The woman barked, anger sparkling in those blue eyes. How dare this little barbarian ignore her! "We can help you in your fight against the youma!"

The Priestess found herself sighing. This was not the first diplomat to waltz onto her planet with a romantic notion of helping a fractured nation, but in _this_ woman, the Martian sensed a determination and fierceness that went far beyond her delicate beauty, and she felt the smallest amount of interest stir within her.

"What do you know of the youma?" Her voice was raw and quiet, as though it hadn't seen much use.

"I know that they've been ravaging your planet for the past several years and that they're gaining in numbers, slowly wiping out your peoples. "

"And how does that matter to you?"

"It doesn't."

The Martian glared – the comment had only served to amplify her mistrust, but the Venusian seemed to show little regret for her harsh words and her cerulean eyes only hardened.

"That is, it _didn't_." The foreigner clarified with a deep growl. "Not until those monsters starting showing up on _my_ planet."

This shred of honesty and display of sheer determination seemed to have the desired effect. This woman had a people, a planet worth protecting, just like the Priestess herself. Finally, the Martian's hand loosened from the hilt of her weapon. Slowly, she returned the other woman's gesture and lifted her own headpiece, releasing wild, unbound raven hair that reached the tattered leather of her pony's saddle, and she was not so blind not to notice the other woman openly staring at her own appearance as much as she had discreetly admired the other's.

"I want to know everything," the golden haired woman demanded, "when they first arrived, how quickly they multiplied, where they came from, what their powers are…" she paused, her tightened fists releasing slowly from around her steed's weathered leather reins, "will you help me?"

The Martian frowned. This woman… talked too much. She was brash, irrational…

Suddenly, the Priestess' pony shuddered underneath her and her hand darted to his neck in a calming manner, though the emotion she felt was far from it.

'_They're here.'_

A scream pierced the thick air, slicing through the dry heat, and both women turned in its direction - to the Venusian's traveling party. The group of two dozen men and women were at arms; drawing swords against a dozen youma the size of horses; huge, lumbering brown monsters with red, beady eyes and too many teeth.

The red pony was halfway across the distance that separated them when the foreigner could finally react. Panicking, she spurred her frightened stallion forward, chasing after the black haired woman even as the Martian dropped her reins and slung her bow mid stride, notching an arrow and taking aim into the midst of the traveling party through a bumpy gallop.

Around and around the battlefield the Martian galloped, notching arrows and sending them sailing into the fray, each arrow effortlessly hitting their marks with an unmatched accuracy. But the youma had thick skin and size to their advantage and the Priestess' arrows had little effect; it took several of the projectiles to take just one of the creatures down, and for each one she felled, another of its party took down two of the brave Venusians.

And that's when, with her mouth ajar, the Priestess watched that strange, brazen woman gallop forward on her white stallion, right into the midst of the battle.

Standing tall in her stirrups, her sword raised to the air, her golden hair streaming behind her, the Venusian met one of the creatures head on. Her sword caught the glint of the sun as she drew it in a wide arc and effortlessly plunged its sharp point into the thick flesh of the youma's head, drawing both an unearthly scream and a spray of crimson blood that she galloped through unflinchingly. The monster fell to the ground with a resounding crash but two more were ready and waiting for her on the other side of its body.

And then that damnable woman jumped off her galloping horse, landing gracefully in a defensive crouch right in between the two hulking creatures. Red eyes widened and small arms grabbed for the Venusian's slender frame but a sudden, blinding light that enveloped the woman's form pushed the youma back.

And when that light cleared, the Venusian was revealed in a scant costume - a short orange skirt, a golden band around her forehead and… high heels?

'_How will she protect herself?' _The Martian felt her heart skip a beat as the youma convened on the foreigner once more and she knew she had to act. She singled out one of the two monsters.

Her arrow made it there first, sinking into the flesh between those two red eyes, but her pony had carried her swiftly and her sword was right behind her preferred weapon, slicing through the youma's throat.

And when she turned to find the woman's second assailant, she was surprised to find it already on the ground; the blonde haired warrior standing over its body, a chain of golden light tightened around its neck and the heel of that dainty orange shoe plunged into its chest as it breathed its last in a hoarse gasp.

The Venusian turned and met the observant gaze of the violet eyed Martian, and only then did they realize that the din of the battle had ended.

The Venusian fell to her knees with the slightest of tremors to her frame, and the same bright light that had brought her strange transformation into fruition enveloped her once more; this time reverting her back to her original appearance. Her eyes scanned the carnage left of the impromptu battlefield. She was no stranger to warfare, but the sight of her traveling party, more than half of them either maimed, dismembered, or worse, was a tough blow for the commander to take, even as her surviving men rose to make order of her remaining camp.

The golden warrior bowed her head then, and quietly muttered a string of words in a softly flowing tongue, a rite of death to which the Martian quickly offered her own silent prayers. And when the foreigner looked up once more, she had mastered back most of the tears that had threatened to spill from her watery eyes, and was wholly surprised to find the Martian Priestess on the ground, beside her.

"I regret that you've lost such valuable warriors."

The Venusian smiled a distant smile, thankful for this small condolence, for it seemed like much coming from the stoic woman she'd only just met.

"You must have lost much to these youma as well."

The Priestess could only nod and avoid the Venusian's prying gaze.

Slowly, the foreign commander rose and closed the distance between herself and the other woman. "My name is Venus Minako." She said, even as she noticed the Martian's stiffening body language as she stared at the hand she offered her. "I am Princess of Venus and leader of the senshi."

"Senshi?"

"The war you have been fighting against the youma has kept your people in the dark about many things. It is the power of my planet which I utilize to guard Serenity, Princess of the Moon."

"That strange costume?"

"It's the manifestation of that power."

"Armor would have been more appropriate."

Minako raised an eyebrow. Sarcasm? So the woman had emotions after all. "Your skill in battle was commendable as well. I've never seen such accuracy and calm calculation on the battlefield, Priestess."

Finally, the Martian met the hand offered to her in a firm shake, only to find that Minako had met her strength evenly. "Rei."

"Rei." The Venusian echoed, and when the Priestess saw the smile that accompanied her name, she wondered at her quickly beating heart and fell to the defensive.

"A Princess, hmm? You fight well for a _Princess_."

Minako's smile widened into a smirk. "Not so bad yourself, for a vagrant savage."

* * *

Hardened feet paced across finely woven rugs impatiently. 

The Venusian commander, this Minako, had been out amongst the remains of her traveling party; giving orders and reassuring her people. Rei understood this necessity, but felt she had already lingered long enough, and the luxurious comforts of this woman's tent did little to ease her need to continue her quest.

"Rei?" That gentle voice heralded the golden haired warrior, and as the tent's leather flap was pulled aside, letting the brightness of the afternoon sun into the dimly lit space, the Martian blinked several times to adjust her vision. When the sunspots faded, she found herself toe to toe with Minako, who held a small tray of breads and meats, and two hammered steel cups of water between them.

To this, the Priestess frowned. "I really need to—"

"Nonsense." Minako said, and with her free hand, she wrapped her fingers around Rei's wrist, leading the hesitating woman to the tent's center where she placed the tray of food on a low table and sat at the other end. "You aided my people and you helped me in battle. Besides, I had almost gotten you to tell me more about the youma before… before…"

Rei sighed. To see Minako's smile fade hurt her somehow. With a huff and a roll of her amethyst eyes, she folded her legs beneath her and surrendered to the comforts of the plush cushions that surrounded the low table. Her hand darted forward and she grabbed a small loaf of grainy bread, which she thrust into her mouth.

"You know the basics." She said between mouthfuls. "They started appearing three years ago, attacking at random. They would appear out of nowhere and decimate entire clans of peoples and when they were done, they would leave no trace of their whereabouts."

Minako set her fork down gently. "No trace at all?"

"I've traveled this planet from top to bottom and not found a single camp of youma." Rei attacked a chunk of meat, next.

"No base of operations?"

"Nothing."

"What of their powers?"

"If you'd call it such, they seem to drain the life-energy from their victims before they kill them."

Minako frowned distantly. "That's what they do… and what do they do with that energy?"

The Martian shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then what of their weaknesses?"

"They have few. Their thick skin and large size is little match for our weapons. Our tribes are nomadic and since there's little governing force that binds them together, communication between them is rare. Still, just like you and your people found out easily enough, head and neck shots seem to be the easiest way to kill them. It is the only tactic we can utilize."

The Venusian's eyes softened. "And you've been chasing after them all these years?"

"I'm a priestess." The Martian barked. "It's my duty to help the people, and my personal goal to find answers to the youma attacks."

"Yet you seem to have hope. Where were you heading when I ran into you?"

"The only place I've yet to search for the youma base," Rei pierced Minako with cold eyes, "is the pole."

Minako involuntary shuddered. "The… pole?" A dark place connected to even darker legends, _no_ planet had a use for their pole, and here was this woman determined to enter hers… alone. _'Is she crazy?'_

Rei stood so fast that she nearly toppled the table over. Turning quickly, she headed for the door. Her hand paused at its flap, and the warmth of the slight sliver of sunlight it allowed didn't reach the coldness of her distant expression. "Everything I've ever cared for, I've lost to them."

"Rei, wait!" Minako stumbled to her feet to chase after the retreating Priestess.

As she put as much distance from the commander's tent as possible, the Martian bristled. She really wished the Venusian would stop saying her name with such emotion. She spotted her pony easily enough amongst the tall, white steeds and made a beeline for him, but she knew Minako was hot on her heels.

"You can't be serious- you'd travel to your pole all by yourself?"

Rei lifted her heavy saddle from the makeshift hitching post and effortlessly slung it onto her pony's back and quickly cinched the girth. "Then you already know the pole's dangers. I do _not_ encourage you to follow me, Princess."

Minako stared dumbly as Rei swung her lithe body into her saddle. Without so much as a backwards glance, the pony began a slow plod through camp, her men moving to the side as the raven haired warrior passed through.

"Rei!"

The Martian's hackles rose and when she turned to look behind her, the shock she felt was enough to halt her sturdy pony beneath her; as closing the distance, the Venusian was a sight to behold.

For lack of saddle and bridle, long legs wrapped around her steed's bare back, and her fingers, woven through his long mane steered her towards the retreating figure. The urgency of the action and Minako's ensuing words left Rei defenseless against the commander's demands.

"Don't… don't go alone!" Once again, she had blocked the Martian's path.

"But…"

"I told you I came here to help you and your people. Will you wait? Just until the morning? Our horses will be rested. We'll be well provisioned."

Even if she was hesitant to gain a traveling partner, the Martian could not deny the logic behind the Venusian's plan. Narrowed eyes and a pursed brow seemed to consider the suggestion.

"You can even share my tent tonight!" Minako suggested leadingly.

Rei snorted. "I'll wait until morning," she stuck her nose to the air, "but I am _not_ sharing your tent."

* * *

Dim orange rays of dawn invaded the commander's tent, and slowly, Minako's cerulean eyes opened. 

She sat up with a start.

Stumbling from her tent, still adjusting the billowy white Martian attire around her body, the Venusian searched her quiet camp. She was unsurprised to find Rei on its edge, sitting atop her red pony, his nose turned towards the southern highlands, and beyond that, the looming outline of Olympic Mons above it.

Somehow, the Venusian couldn't help but wonder if the Priestess had stood guard like that all night.

She quickly banished the thought and hurried to tack her horse.

The slight jingle of metal and creaking of leather was enough to announce her presence, but Rei didn't acknowledge Minako's arrival until the woman drew to a halt next to her.

"I'm heading to a teleport circuit. It will take us close to the pole's center." No words of greeting were uttered. "Where we're going, your desert horse will be of little use."

After a moment's consideration, the Venusian slid from her stallion's side, stepped to his front and then laid an open palm to his forehead. Dark eyes examined his master for the briefest of moments before he silently turned and headed back for camp obediently.

Her pony didn't seem to mind, but Rei stiffened as Minako slung her agile body behind her saddle, and when two strong arms settled gently around her waist, she wasn't aware she'd begun to hold her breath until her voice registered as a hoarse whisper,

"Would you so readily trust me, Princess of Venus?"

Minako frowned. She'd spent the majority of the night milling over that very question, only to find that her answer hadn't differed from her first, impulsive decision to follow Rei to whatever dangers awaited them at Mars' pole.

"I would, Priestess of Mars."

* * *

On the pole, winter was breaking. 

The Sun tentatively hung low to the horizon. Phobos was a small point of irregularly shaped light creeping into the western sky, but it was the clouds of frost driven by harsh, howling winds that heralded the change in season.

Minako's teeth chattered in Rei's ear. A large, furry animal skin was draped across both their bodies, and even the stoic Martian had since ceased her nervous fidgeting at the Venusian's proximity; for their shared body heat was all too welcome in this bitter climate.

Suddenly, Rei pulled back on the reins and the pony came to a hesitant stop. They stood still for a moment, and the driving frost began to accumulate on the pony's red forelock and he stamped a foot impatiently. Finally, the Priestess nudged him with her right foot and urged him to the left.

"Rei?" Minako asked.

"We're close." The Martian said.

"How do you know?"

"I sense it."

The Venusian rested her chin on the Priestess' shoulder. "Sense?"

"I may not have… _senshi_ powers, but I do have certain abilities."

"Hmm." Minako said more to herself, for the Martian was clearly not willing to discuss the matter further. Silently, they rode on, until they nearly crested a rocky hill.

The pony stopped once more, but this time, the Martian slipped from the arms of the Venusian to dismount. Like an animal stalking prey, Rei lowered her center of gravity to her haunches and crept the rest of the way up the rise, hiding her body behind a massive rock at its top.

Crouching behind the same rock, Minako was quick to join her, hurriedly tossing the warm fur back over both of their bodies, but Rei didn't seem to notice this thoughtful gesture. Instead, her cold, violet eyes were trained on the snow-strewn valley below. The Venusian's eyes widened in response.

There were hundreds… thousands of youma! Oblivious to the biting winds and driving frost, they were all milling around a central point… and their numbers were growing.

"An access point!" Minako exclaimed, finding the metal contraption from where the creatures seemed to spawn. "They're invading from another planet!"

"Invasion?" The Martian asked slowly.

Rei's face only hardened, and for a brief moment, Minako worried that the barbarian would fling herself into the youmas' midst; one woman equipped with a bow and a sword against a few thousand monsters. And though she envied the Martian her bravery, she found herself wrapping her arms around the other woman even tighter, just in case.

"The answer you seek is not on Mars, Rei."

The calm voice served its purpose and the battle readiness the Martian had felt faded significantly; she couldn't help but feel robbed. Although she hadn't known what to expect to find on the pole, she hadn't expected to find more questions instead of answers.

Bonelessly, she fell to her knees, barely aware of the warm presence that had followed her descent with warm arms and protective blanket.

"This is no longer your battle, alone, Priestess." Minako's voice was almost harsh in her ears. "Come to the Moon with me."

"The Moon?" Rei asked detachedly, her eyes still locked on the youma in the valley.

"Queen Serenity, the Princess, they need to know what we've found here. My comrades, the Princesses of Jupiter and Mercury, have been researching the youma as well. You'd be a great asset to our cause."

Rei merely snorted and Minako frowned at her response.

"You have more collective knowledge of the enemy than all of us combined. And even though you're no senshi, your skill in battle would be useful, along with your sensing abilities."

"Ch'." The Martian cursed, her eyes narrowing on the monsters pouring through the access point, invading her home from some foreign location.

Minako's voice deepened. "If you truly want to help your people, and if you truly want revenge against the youma, then come with me, Rei."

The Martian turned to meet the Venusian's confident gaze, and in those cerulean eyes, she could see why the woman was named leader of so powerful a force. It was rare for the Martian to meet one as dominant and driven as herself, and though she didn't plan on calling this woman her leader as others might, she found it surprisingly easy to fall into step behind Minako.

"I'll join you."

The hesitant Priestess was met with a cocky grin. "Would you so readily trust me, Priestess of Mars?"

Rei frowned. She wouldn't have trusted a battle tested tactician or a wizened advisor after several years of serving alongside them. Yet somehow… somehow… she found herself meeting that grin with one of her own.

"I would, Princess of Venus."

* * *

Author's Notes: 

I know what you're thinking. Oh no, another Silver Millennium fic, I know exactly how this is going to end! But remember, this is an Alternative Universe, so stick with it! The Titanic just might not hit that particular iceberg… although I can't promise that it might not hit others.

For those of you who have followed me from past fics, A Single Voice will be a bit of a departure from my regular style. A little less descriptive, a little more plot and dialogue driven, but I hope I will continue to please. ASV is completed at 21 chapters, still undergoing revisions, but expect regular updates, as always.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

OOO

Preview, Chapter 2: Together

"Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity, this is Rei, and-"

Rei stepped away from Minako and locked gazes with the Queen and the Princess. "And I am a Priestess of Mars." The Martian declared this boldly, and she could feel the Venusian fuming beside her.

"You didn't tell me you could speak Common!" Minako snapped.

Rei regarded Minako with cool eyes. "You never asked. I may be of a _barbarian_ people, but I am not uneducated, _Princess_."

The Venusian nearly growled. Payback, after all, was a bitch.

A melodic laugh broke the room's tension and the younger of the two women, the Princess, rose from her throne. She descended the steps in a slow and measured gait until the last step, on which the long hem of her white gown lodged under her delicate shoe, sending the woman sprawling towards the floor, her arms pinwheeling and long golden pigtails streaming out behind her.

Rei was the quickest of those that lunged forward, and without thinking, she soon found a teary eyed Princess Serenity in her arms. Watery, cobalt eyes peered up at her and the Martian couldn't help but notice the young woman's petite frame and apparent fragility. A slight blush dusting her cheeks, the Priestess righted the heir to the Moon Kingdom and shrugged off her clinging embrace.

That seemed to break the spell, and big, round crocodile tears began spilling down the Princess' face. "I'm sorry! " She wailed. "You're just so beautiful, I had to get a closer look!"

Frowning, the Martian stiffened and backed up slightly, only to find herself surrounded. Minako stood at her back, and behind her, two other women stood at the ready; one was exceptionally tall with long brown hair tied into a pony tail, and another with loose, short blue hair; both had observant eyes trained on not the Princess, but on Rei. The Martian forced herself to relax her posture, for she could sense their mistrust and she was very aware that if she had to fight over an apparent misunderstanding, she was terribly outnumbered.

And only then did she realize that the Princess had never stopped her animated gushing.

"Ne, Ami-chan? Mako-chan? Minako-chan? I can feel it." Serenity's voice was a whisper as she approached Rei once more. A steady hand reached forward and touched the flinching Martian's cheek softly. "We're all together now."


	2. Chapter 2

A Single Voice  
Chapter 2: Together  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The even rhythm of one set of heels echoed down the marble corridor and was accompanied with a slightly off paced click-clack-clunk of another.

"Is this… _thing_ really necessary?"

"It's called a dress, Rei. You can't enter the throne room in those tattered robes."

"Ch'." The Martian cursed, even as she slightly stumbled in the awkward footwear the Venusian had forced her into. "Impractical."

Minako hid an irrepressible snicker behind her hand. "Deal with it. At least you clean up well. For a barbarian."

Amethyst eyes glared at the golden haired woman, but a comeback was not forthcoming as they entered a brightly lit chamber. The Martian's forward momentum slowed to near a halt as she absorbed not only the ornate marble and gold decorations, but the beauty of the two women who sat on the throne.

Near mirror images with matching hairstyles, the woman with silver hair owned the larger throne while the one with blonde hair and a visibly younger appearance graced the smaller one at its side. The mark of the crescent moon on their foreheads signified them as Queen and Princess, and it was their presence that drew Rei's eyes from the other things, the other people in the room.

The Priestess then felt a gentle hand on the small of her back and realized the Venusian was pushing her forward. "Step up, Rei." She whispered in Martian before addressing the two women on the throne in a different language, "Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity, this is Rei, and-"

Rei stepped away from Minako and locked gazes with the Queen and the Princess. "And I am a Priestess of Mars." The Martian declared this boldly, and she could feel the Venusian fuming beside her.

"You didn't tell me you could speak Common!" Minako snapped.

Rei regarded Minako with amused eyes. "You never asked. I may be of a _barbarian_ people, but I am not uneducated, _Princess_."

The Venusian nearly growled. Payback, after all, was a bitch.

A melodic laugh broke the room's tension and the younger of the two women, the Princess, rose from her throne. She descended the steps in a slow and measured gait until the very last step, on which the long hem of her white gown lodged under her delicate shoe, sending the woman sprawling towards the floor, her arms pinwheeling and long golden pigtails streaming out behind her.

Rei was the quickest of those that lunged forward, and without thinking, she soon found a teary eyed Princess Serenity in her arms. Watery, cobalt eyes peered up at her and the Martian couldn't help but notice the young woman's petite frame and apparent fragility. A slight blush dusting her cheeks, the Priestess righted the heir to the Moon Kingdom and shrugged off her clinging embrace.

That seemed to break the spell, and big, round crocodile tears began spilling down the Princess' face. "I'm sorry! " She wailed. "You're just so beautiful, I had to get a closer look!"

Frowning, the Martian stiffened and backed up slightly, only to find herself surrounded. Minako stood at her back, and behind her, two other women stood at the ready; one was exceptionally tall with long brown hair tied into a pony tail, and another woman, much shorter, with loose, short blue hair; both had observant eyes trained not on the Princess, but on Rei. The Martian forced herself to relax her posture, for she could sense their mistrust and she was very aware that if she had to fight over an apparent misunderstanding, she was terribly outnumbered.

And only then did she realize that the Princess had never stopped her animated gushing and was addressing those very women behind her.

"Ne, Ami-chan? Mako-chan? Minako-chan? I can feel it." Serenity's voice was a whisper as she approached Rei once more. A steady hand reached forward and touched the flinching Martian's cheek softly. "We're all together now."

"Serenity-chan?" Minako's quiet, unspoken question hung in the air and was close enough to Rei's ear to send a shudder down the Priestess' spine.

"Serenity." The quiet voice of the Queen was a gentle reminder and the Princess bowed to the Martian slightly and returned to her throne, thankfully with less trouble than her descent.

The Queen rose from her seat, her eyes trained on the Venusian. "Please, leave us. Brief the others on your mission. The Princess and I will receive it from the source."

Bowing obediently, Minako nodded to her two companions and together, they turned to exit the throne room, but pausing at the door, she cast a glance to the Martian's back and reminded herself sharply, '_Serenity would treat a _stranger_ no differently than she would a close friend, Minako. You know that.'_

Yet, somehow, the click of the door latch sounded entirely too final in Minako's ears as she hesitatingly closed the heavy doors behind her.

* * *

From a wide bank of silver-gilded windows that lined one wall of the throne room, the warmth of the Sun's rays and the gentle blue glow of the Earth where it hung low on the horizon washed the room in gentle tones. The Queen's smile was a indulgent one and despite herself, Rei felt her guard lessen somewhat. She told her Queen of her meeting with Minako and the cause for her invitation to court; her knowledge of the youma that threatened not only her planet, but as she came to understand, several of the solar system's others as well. 

Queen Serenity digested Rei's knowledge calmly and with grace. It was more than Rei could say for the Princess who had seemed thoroughly bored and more intent to simply stare and smile at the Martian. The hardened warrior would have mistaken the younger Serenity for a brainless twit were it not for the Princess' next statement,

"You say you're an orphan but you're also heir to your planet, are you not, _Mars_ Rei?"

The Priestess remained unaffected, unsurprised that these women would know such information. "I am."

"Does anyone else know?" The Queen asked, commanding the conversation.

"No."

"No? But would it not be in your planet's best interest to come forward and identify yourself? Unite your fractured nations into one and together you may have a better chance against your common enemy."

'_Together?'_ Rei asked herself. Self-sufficiency was the Martian way; first the self, and then the tribe. "I am no greater or lesser than the sum of my people. I do not wish to be differentiated. Even though I've known I'm the heir to the throne, I always thought I could do more good as a nameless priestess in the front lines of the battle against the youma than as a Princess."

"But surely you could further your cause by becoming the rightful heir and ascending to the _senshi_ position that the title of Princess would grant you?"

"Senshi." Rei turned thoughtful. "Like Minako?"

"Yes. You've seen her skill in battle. By becoming a senshi, you would be able to tap into the powers of Mars. Think of how you could aid your planet, your entire solar system with that power. Perhaps it is time for you to become part of something larger, Mars Rei."

The Martian's clammy hands balled into fists, released, and then formed fists once more. The candelabras that lined the stone walls flickered as if disturbed by a gust of wind, regained their strength, and then flared brighter.

Princess Serenity stood, her hands clasped before her hopefully. "Please. Be one of my senshi, Rei-chan."

Violet eyes met cobalt and somehow, she couldn't help but feel protective of this young woman's innocence. But she was getting in over her head here, wasn't she? If she were to accept, she would be signing up not only for her planet, but for her Kingdom, for this Princess, and for the other guardians who protected her.

The younger Serenity laughed, and the room was filled with her warmth. "Don't rush your decision, Rei-chan. For now, why don't you get to know my senshi?"

Once again, the Princess descended from the throne, and this time, she kept her footing until she was standing in front of the taller Martian. Smiling, she laid a hand on the other woman's shoulder. "In fact, I believe they're waiting for you right now."

* * *

The brunette stood tall and crossed her arms. She paced the room distractedly, not willing to sit in the plush chaise lounges or rest on the luxurious couches. "That's all well and good about the youma, Minako-chan, but tell us about the woman." 

"You mean Rei?"

"Exactly. What's this_ 'Rei' _business? You've known her for all of two days and you're on such close terms?"

"Mako-chan…" The small blunette laid a warning hand on her companion's shoulder.

"It's okay, Ami-chan. Mako-chan's right to be cautious." Minako set her goblet down on a glass table and sat forward, crossing her legs. "We just… hit if off when we first met. The way we fought together… I don't know. It just works." She gazed at her friends. "All I ask is that you give her a chance, huh?"

The two women shared a brief glance. The taller of the two shrugged and the smaller nodded. They would trust their leader.

The door to the senshi's courtyard swung open and an aide stuck his worried head in. "Ladies, the Priestess of Mars is…" Bushy eyebrows rose in a panic as the raven haired warrior strode right past him and entered on her own accord as though she owned the place, "here." He finished impotently.

Makoto leaned in close to her leader. "I see what you like about her," she half whispered, half teased.

In one motion, the Venusian stepped on the tall woman's foot, taking particular care to grind her point of her heel into the other woman's unprotected foot for good measure, all while nodding to the aide, who reluctantly shut the door behind their guest.

Despite the others in the room, the two women looked only at each other. It had been the longest they'd been apart since they'd met and the Venusian couldn't help but notice the troubled look in the warrior's violet eyes.

"I see our Princess let you go." It was a simple statement, yet it was meant as a challenge, and Rei took Minako's bait easily.

"She wanted me to get to know her _senshi_." Her eyes wandered across the room's luxuries, taking stock in the heavy, plush curtains that lined wide banks of windows, colorful tapestries depicting warrior women that hung from the stone walls, and the gold and silver accented furniture, none of which the Martian had seen the likes of before.

Rei didn't care for any of it and her first impression of their courtyard left a bad taste in her mouth. Instead, she slowly advanced on Minako. "So tell me, if being a senshi is about kicking back and eating bon-bons all day, where do I sign up?"

Minako remained unaffected. "Bon-bons are too rich for the savage palate, I'm afraid. I'm surprised you even have such a word in your vocabulary."

"Now, now. You don't want to challenge me on words and languages again, do you Princess?"

The Venusian smirked. "Touché."

"I thought she said they hit it off?" Makoto's whispered words to Ami didn't go unnoticed and the smirks that Minako and Rei wore evolved to full fledged grins. The time for butting heads had passed.

"Rei," Minako began, her hand reaching out to touch the Martian's elbow, "These are my fellow senshi."

The petite blunette bowed slightly to the Martian. "Mercury Ami. Nice to meet you."

"Jupiter Makoto." The tall brunette stepped forward, offering the Martian a wide smile and her hand.

As she had with Minako, Rei stared at that hand, hesitant to shake it. Things were happening all to fast for her, and although she didn't want to join these women, she didn't want to get on their bad sides either.

Finally, she met the tall women's strength with her own. "Rei." She said simply.

"We're sorry we advanced on you earlier in the throne room," The Jovian said, an anxious hand rubbing the back of her neck before her hazel eyes hardened. "but we had to make sure our Princess was safe."

"We don't expect you to understand, but… Serenity is our everything." Ami said in a very quiet voice.

Minako smiled softly at her soldiers. In the Venusian's cerulean eyes, Rei could see that same devotion that the others had expressed. And although she wanted to question that seemingly blind devotion, the Martian quickly found that even given the short amount of time she'd known the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, somehow, she could understand how her senshi felt.

The Venusian chuckled, a thought seeming to catch her. "Even Ami-chan said it." The others turned to her in question. "Barbarians don't understand much."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Ami exclaimed, hands splayed out in front of her and a blush on her cheeks.

The Priestess simply rolled her eyes. She'd let the Venusian take that point on their running tally if it were so important to her. Besides, she didn't want to upset the fragile Mercurian, and the look the Jovian was throwing in her direction for upsetting the petite woman didn't go unnoticed, either.

Minako released an overly dramatic sigh and headed for the door. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have an audience with the Princess shortly."

Feeling violet eyes on her back, the Venusian looked back to the Martian, and suddenly, the confident smirk Minako wore slipped. Her lips parted, as though there were words on the tip of her tongue, as though she didn't want to leave the Martian's side, even for her Princess, but then her jaw shut with a click. Turning, she only shut the door behind her.

Ami's nervous chuckle made a desperate attempt to ease the tension. "I know she can be brash, Rei-san, but Minako really is a great person."

The Priestess merely shrugged, her eyes still trained on the heavy, wooden door. Her voice was quiet when she spoke.

"I need to get some air."

The Priestess let herself out of the room, careful to head in the direction opposite the one the moody Venusian had taken.

* * *

"I don't know, Minako-chan. She doesn't seem like the type to like a good prank." Princes Serenity seemed cautious, biting her lower lip anxiously. 

The Venusian crossed her arms smugly. "I _know_ she's not the type to like a good prank. That's why I want to do it!"

"Minako-chan!"

The Venusian reveled in her Princess' excited giggles and when the door swung open, revealing the devil herself, a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"My apologies." The Martian barked. "I thought this room was vacant."

"Rei!"

The door the Priestess was too eager to shut stopped closing a hair's breadth from its home. "Yes?" The Martian growled her response, opening the door only wide enough to meet the Venusian's tempting gaze.

"Would you do our Princess a favor?"

* * *

'_What the hell does she think I am, a waitress? And that spoiled Serenity, dinner's not even that far off!' _The Martian gritted her teeth against her anger as she followed Minako's directions to the palace kitchen. One marble lined hallway looked the same as the next, but the sound of pots and pans clanging on hard surfaces assured Rei that she was headed in the right direction and she picked up her pace, eager to wash her hands of the mundane task Minako had assigned her. 

Entering the long, galley kitchen as noisily as possible was difficult given her small shoes and quiet dress that didn't clink and clank with the comforting sounds of leather and metal, but Rei made due by shouting into the busy room.

"I've brought an order for the chef!" She declared.

Somewhere in the middle of the stainless steel clad room, an unattended pan of oil sparked to life, erupting in flame, and all eyes turned to the Martian Warrior.

"Heezabig Loozer!"

The Martian froze as the words caught up to her and the name of a food that had sounded like it was in a foreign language wasn't so foreign at all. '_Minako… damnit!'_

First it was a snort. Then a lone chuckle. There was a wheezing gasp, and then the entire room caught the bug and erupted into hysterics. All except for one, large man boasting a white apron and a very tall hat that was very quickly making his way towards the red cheeked Martian.

"Crap." Rei muttered, and ran for it.

* * *

The shapes of four women that were squeezed together in a small side kitchen doorway suppressed their laughter. 

"That wasn't a very kind thing to do." Ami scolded, though the hand she held before her smile was telling.

Serenity elbowed the leader of her guardians. "Especially to someone you _like_, Mina-chan."

The Venusian choked on what had been wicked chuckle. "What!?"

Makoto bent slightly to scold her leader with hazel eyes. "I think you're trying a little _too_ hard, Mina-chan."

The golden haired warrior sighed.

"Crap." She finally muttered, and took off in pursuit of the Martian.

* * *

The towering oak tree nestled in the back of a large, outdoor courtyard behind the Palace was like an oasis in the desert, and beneath its large limbs, Rei hoped to seek solace. 

She sat at the tree's base, sitting awkwardly in her foreign dress that the Venusian had forced her into, yet she was content to draw on the comfort of what little of the natural world she could find, the natural world that she'd missed so dearly since being pulled into this crazy world of people and politics, this crazy world of unpredictable, confusing women.

The Sea of Serenity stretched into oblivion and the blue orb of the Earth was reflected in its rippling golden waters that caught the light of the sun. Closing her eyes, she assured herself that she'd found the solace she so desperately needed when her body suddenly went rigid and stiff, her breath hitched in her throat, and her vision faded to black before transforming into a nightmare scene that was far beyond her control.

_The basalt pavers of the courtyard were torn and broken; the marble walls of the palace were shattered and toppled. The tree which she had sought solace under was charred and blackened. _

_In the courtyard, amidst jagged chunks of stone and upturned concrete, three warriors faced off against too many youma, and in the courtyard's center, one other warrior; a golden soldier, faced off against a red haired woman. But it was the force behind that woman, a shapeless, dark energy that towered over all._

_The golden warrior charged her opponent, sword held high, and the red haired woman launched herself forward. _

_Rei knew her body was shaking, but she couldn't stop the tremors. For above the din of battle, what frightened her the most was not a fear not of death, but a fear of loss._

"_Rei! Rei!" _

_And then there was a warmth, a gentle sensation that somehow eased the fear she'd felt, and her senses that had been captured by the nightmare vision slowly released the fear she felt._

"Rei!"

The Martian's amethyst eyes opened slowly and her body that had somehow relaxed instinctually went rigid once more, for she found that her fingers were twined in golden hair that could only belong to one person, and sure enough, her nose was buried in the crook of Minako's neck. She was sure the Venusian was responsible for their embrace, but was she to be held accountable for returning it while unaware of her actions?

Minako held her tighter. "Rei, what was that?" Her voice was confused, desperate.

The Priestess pushed the slightly smaller woman away from her. "Don't touch me!" She snarled. There was a reason that she didn't want anyone to touch her while in the throes of a vision. But when the Venusian seemingly wilted from that impulsive action, the Martian instantly regretted her words.

Minako reeled, not understanding the emotions and imagery she'd experienced by touching the other woman, but she vaguely remembered that she did in fact, have a purpose for tracking Rei down. It was the only thing she could cling to given what she'd seen and felt, and given the Priestess' vehement rejection of her. She turned, tearing her gaze from the wild eyed woman.

"I'm sorry." She nearly barked her apology as she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm sorry for teasing you earlier, and I'm sorry for disturbing you now."

Rei stumbled to her feet and managed to grab Minako none too gently by the wrist before she fled. "No, wait!" She barked, somehow relieved when the Venusian paused.

"Stay." She repeated distantly, as though she hadn't been aware that she would even make the request at all.

The two women sank back down to the ground, leaning their backs to the rough bark of the massive oak. An awkward silence settled between them, and the Martian found herself doubting the soundness of her impulsive decision after all.

"We've planned to head to Jupiter." Minako said quietly, making conversation her duty in order to fill the uncomfortable void between them. "Ami-chan, Mako-chan and I."

"Ah."

"We're going to the pole. We think we may find more clues there the way we did on Mars."

"Hmm."

The Venusian sighed angrily and scooted to the side, forcing the Martian to look at her. Rei found herself relieved to see that glimmer of aggravation back in those cerulean eyes.

"We could use your help, Rei. The four of us together will have a better chance for success, don't you think?"

'_Together. There's that word again.' _

"Will you come with us?"

"_Be one of my senshi, Rei-chan." _Princess Serenity's voice echoed in Rei's ears, and she had to ask herself; if she were to go, whom would she be going for? Serenity or Minako? The Princess or the warrior?

She found the answer easier to come by than she expected, and she leveled her confident gaze on Minako.

"I will."

Rei's answer seemed to appease the Venusian and the golden haired woman nodded and leaned back into the tree once more. This time, the silence between them wasn't so awkward. And when Minako reached out and covered Rei's hand gently with her own, she wasn't quite so surprised when the Priestess didn't draw away from her gentle touch.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

I know this chapter was a little slow, but now the plot's been set. Expect much more action in the next chapter. You know, all kinds of action. wicked chuckle Okay, I guess that was mean of me.

Lunar, ShoujoGirl, and hinogrrl, thanks for following me here from my last fic. Always great to see familiar faces!  
Neuro: I think this chapter is a little more obvious with my sudden lack of description. Dialogue drives this chapter much more, and future chapters are similar. As to the barbaric nature of the Martians in this Universe, as a warrior people, I did make them as savage as Jovians, and you'll see similarities between the two races, to include the Uranians. And yes, you'll be seeing all of the inner planets! Expect at least a chapter on each.  
ChrisGranger and Payne N. Uranus: I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Bickering and angst between Rei and Minako to continue.  
Bomichan: From one author to another, thank you!  
Rabid Fangirl: Thanks! I think you and I like the same kind of Rei. Do, however, expect her to shed her aversion of physical touch pretty quickly.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 3: On Jupiter, Part One: Man Overboard

She'd only been unconscious for a moment, but she'd faded in and out of darkness since. She'd been vaguely aware of Minako shouting commands in a stressed tone. She'd been pretty certain it was Makoto who had picked her up and carried her into one of the two tents she'd set up, and she'd been fairly sure she'd seen Ami's small form darting around the tent's small footprint, laying out a bedroll and arranging supplies.

But Rei wasn't fully aware of her surroundings until the only thing she could hear was the howling winds and the rain as it drove against the tent's walls, and the only person left in front of her was Minako.

"Take your clothes off."

"What!?" Rei's already shaky legs threatened to give out beneath her.

"You're soaked and you need to dry off. Now don't make me repeat myself or I'll do it _for_ you."

Minako couldn't tell if the Priestess' hesitation was borne from her exhaustion or something else, but finally, Rei began to strip.

But she was so very weak, and her arms were getting stuck in the clinging, wet material of her shirt. And so, she took the situation into her own hands.

"I didn't make you repeat yourself!" The Martian snapped as she felt Minako's hands take the hem of her shirt.

"Don't worry. I won't take advantage of you." The Venusian said, her tone light and teasing. "Not unless you _want_ me to, that is."


	3. Chapter 3

A Single Voice  
Chapter 3: On Jupiter, Part One: Man Overboard  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Hair plastered to their heads, clothes soaked to their skin, their heavy boots sucked and squelched in the mud under the dense rainforest canopy.

They'd only just left the protection of the shuttle and already, they were waterlogged. Minako huffed under the heavy pack she supported on her shoulders, weighed down by the relentless Jovian rains. She could feel the Martian's eyes on her and felt a mixture of excitement and curiosity.

"What?" She barked, tossing her head and shedding water droplets that immediately accumulated again.

Rei snorted. "So you _don't_ melt."

Minako's brows met. The comment had flown over her head with an audible whoosh, but her companions' stifled chuckles were enough to let her know she'd been insulted.

The sound of metal being unsheathed was an ample derailment of a brewing argument and all eyes turned to Makoto who held a long, flat blade with her sword arm. "The path seems overgrown. Looks like it'll be slow going."

The four women examined the state of the muddy path. With the constant downpour, visibility was limited to only a few dozen feet around them in either direction, but the arms of hanging vines and a vast network of crooked limbs that clogged the narrow passage was telling enough even in the dusky red light cast by the thick clouds overhead.

"Looks like your people don't travel to the pole much." Minako said flatly.

The Jovian only shrugged. "Whose' does?"

Ami unconsciously stepped closer to their tallest warrior. "It's like a warning. Maybe we shouldn't—"

Minako's sudden laughter did battle with a clap of thunder. "You're supposed to be the _logical_ one, Ami-chan. You can't be scared."

"Anything you've heard about the pole is just a fairy tale, Ami-san, designed by adults to frighten misbehaving children." Rei said, at odds with supporting the leader of the senshi.

"But there's a grain of truth to every fairy tale, Rei-san." Ami said worriedly.

The Venusian stepped up beside the Martian and slapped her on the shoulder, perhaps harder than she'd really intended. "Rei and I visited Mars' pole and lived to tell the tale, right?"

Rei's unyielding violet eyes conveyed her confidence. "Perhaps the youma are intelligent enough to feed off that fear; perhaps that's why they hide at the pole, because it's a place no one travels, where their movements would go undetected."

This comforting shred of logic seemed to ease the Mercurian greatly.

Makoto laid a comforting hand on Ami's arm. "Come on, Ami-chan. Besides, the dangers of the pole's got nothing on the poisonous insects and man eating plants and animals of the rainforest."

"What!?" Ami half squeaked, half screamed.

Minako smacked her lips and pushed the petite girl forward. "She's just pulling your chain, Ami-chan."

The Mercurian bristled and shot a scathing look at her tall friend. "Jupiter Makoto, you _know_ I hate it when you do that!"

The Jovian only chuckled and advanced, her deep laugh mingling with her blade as it screamed through the air and sliced into vines and limbs effortlessly.

* * *

"Maa, come on!" Minako wailed. "We've been sinking in this mud for four hours now!"

Bringing up the rear, Rei pushed the Venusian forward with the tips of her fingers against the other woman's arms, if only so that she didn't outright bump into Minako's slowing form. "For a leader, you can be awfully whiny."

"Yeah, well maybe some of us aren't as accustomed to carrying everything they need to survive on their backs. Take Ami-chan for example. Ne, you want a break, don't you, Ami-chan?"

Not even chancing a backwards glance, the Mercurian followed close on Makoto's heels. "I'm doing quite fine, thank you. Besides, we should cover as much ground as possible. The storms here are unpredictable and could hinder our progress."

"You mean _this_ isn't a storm?" Minako asked, indicating the heavy rain and gusty winds that had only worsened since they'd begun their mission.

"Are you kidding? This is nice Jovian weather!" Makoto said, shouting over a clap of thunder.

Rei snorted in the Venusian's ear and shouldered her way past Minako towards the front of the pack, and she didn't stop there. Swiping Makoto's blade right out of her hand, she began to attack the vines that hindered their passage.

"I like this girl already." The Jovian said as she fell into step behind Minako to pick up the rear.

"Fine." Minako spat. "You're both barbarians then."

"Well, you two _do_ complement each other quite nicely."

"Keh!"

"You _do_ know she's just doing that to show off to you."

"What, swinging a machete around? Oh, I'm so _very_ impressed."

Makoto sighed. "Apparently, you just don't get people like us."

* * *

The Martian manned the machete for several hours, clearing the path for those that followed behind her. Minako, for all intents and purposes, was always close on her heels, her eyes never seeming to waver from the form of the one in front of her. Makoto, meanwhile, crept up next to her blue haired friend, her weary eyes trained to the forest canopy.

"I'd get your head out of that report if I were you. Could be snakes around here."

Ami straightened up under the weight of her pack and focused her attention even more on the transparent read out displayed before her. "Oh, Mako, stop teasing me already."

"No, really Ami, this area is very—"

"Snake!" Rei's warning was just a second too late.

"I'm not falling for it you guys-" Ami's voice hitched in her throat and she screamed loudly.

As if a torch was set to a dry haystack, a flurry of activity ensued all too quickly. Minako spun behind her, her sword drawn and screaming towards the threat falling from the canopy above while Makoto leapt forward, gathering the blue haired woman into her arms. Minako's weapon sliced through the snake, but the damage had already been done. The half that was still attached to Ami had its fangs lodged deep in her bicep muscle, even as its severed body continued to slither in disconnect.

Makoto panicked. "Ami! Ami! Stay with me, it's going to be alright!"

The Mercurian woman winced but choked out a hoarse laugh. "I know I will! It wasn't poisonous!"

"Score one for booksmarts," Makoto grumbled, realizing she'd overreacted, "but you're still trembling. That can't feel good."

This seemed to quiet the woman, and she allowed herself to relax in the arms of the strong Jovian.

Rei approached the two women with a small dagger in hand. No words were needed. Ami nodded and turned her head away while the Priestess slipped the blade underneath the snake's fangs and pried its hinged jaw from the woman's flesh.

"Ne, Ami-chan. There's an herb in this forest that will help ease the pain," Makoto told the trembling woman, "I'm sure I can find it for you."

"Un." The Mercurian replied detachedly as the Jovian set her down on shaky feet. Her adrenaline wearing off, although the logical side of her knew she wasn't in any real danger, Ami was still very shaken.

"I'm calling camp." Minako barked. She shrugged her shoulders and her pack fell to the ground, sinking into the mud. "You," she said, pointing at Makoto, "go find this herb." You," she said, pointing to Rei, "stay with Ami, set up tents. And I," she said, pointing to herself, "will try to find something dry to burn."

Each woman nodded and the leader of the senshi turned to Makoto. "You have twenty minutes. No longer. Night is falling and the storm is worsening."

Hazel eyes hardened. "Understood."

The two women disappeared into the forest.

* * *

Lightening forked across the blackish red sky. She counted. '_One… two… thr-'_ the explosion of thunder shook Rei to her core. The storm's center was nearly directly overhead.

The driving wind whipped the guy line from Rei's hand and half of the tent fell back to the ground. The Priestess growled and scrambled for the errant line, finally securing it and pulling it taught against a small tree. The tents were large, despite their small compression size, and were quite the struggle for one person to set up.

"Rei-san?"

She barely heard the faint call over the howling winds but the Martian poked her head into Ami's tent. A small, dim lantern shed barely enough of a glow for her to see by, but she was relieved to find that although Ami looked rather pale, she was dry, and resting, as she'd been instructed.

"Yes?"

Stormy blue eyes met Rei's. "It's… been thirty minutes. The storm's worsened. Maybe something happened…"

Rei didn't say anything. She didn't have to, she knew. Her feeling of unease had steadily grown as soon as Minako and Makoto had left. She would wait no longer. The Priestess nodded her intent and released the flap to Ami's tent.

"Rei-san!"

Once again, the Priestess poked her head in. "I'm going to find them." She could see the worry written on Ami's face and a rare smile graced her own. "Don't worry, I'll bring her back to you."

The petite woman blushed and sputtered, and Rei left her with a small smile and her dignity.

* * *

She had promised to bring Makoto back, but as she stood at the intersection where the Venusian and the Jovian had parted ways, she wasn't in the least surprised to find the pull of a different aura drawing her first. Whether Minako was aware of it or not, she was thinking of Rei; searching for her, calling to her… and like a moth to a flame, Rei surrendered to its call.

Visibility was near zero and the red glow of the storm clouds illuminated little more than the driving rain and the flashes of lightening only served to blind her after its brightness had faded.

So the Priestess shut her eyes and relied on her other senses to guide her, latching onto the one thing her mind was so completely centered on; the aura that was all warmth, concern, confusion and sheer draw, the aura that was so distinctly Venus Minako.

The going was tough at first. She'd anticipated a steep drop too soon and had slid some twenty feet into a rocky gorge. She rose; aware of the cuts and bruises she'd find later, and continued. Several times her heavy boots had tangled in the merciless vines and she'd fallen into the mud, only to lift herself up and continue, for she knew, every step brought her closer to Minako.

And the closer she got, the more she realized; she only wanted to see the woman safe and sound. Perhaps she wouldn't mind the confusing Venusian's incessant touching and strange mood swings as much, so long as she knew that she was okay.

"Rei?"

The Priestess finally opened her eyes to find the blonde warrior standing at the other end of the narrow trail, looking entirely lost, but unscathed and uninjured.

"Minako." The relief she felt battled with a sudden lightheadedness brought about by the exertion she'd expended to follow the Venusian's aura.

And then the woman was across the clearing, and as Rei had expected, in her arms.

And Rei hugged her back.

"But how did you-"

"I sensed you."

Cerulean eyes, so close to her own, examined her blank expression. "Like you do with the youma?"

"Yes."

Still clinging tightly to the other woman, Minako's brows furrowed and she paused, seeming to withdraw into herself. "Mako-chan." She whispered. "I feel… no, I sense her. I sense her… through you?"

"Don't touch me!" 

Rei's voice echoed in her head, and when coupled with the bitter memory of the other woman pushing her away, the Venusian tore herself from the Martian's arms.

"This is your power?" Minako asked quietly.

Rei turned her profile away darkly. "I can sense auras. I can also predict danger. Some call it a power. I've generally thought of it as a curse."

"Then, what I saw yesterday while we were sitting under the tree…"

"It could have been a vision of the past or of a possible future. You siphoned it from me. I can become a conductor of the image or the feeling I sense."

"Then Makoto… she got lost in the storm, too? I sensed her through touching you?"

Rei only nodded, waiting for the inevitable mistrustful response she was so used to receiving once explaining her spiritual powers. The rain was driving even harder. The temperature was dropping. She shuddered involuntarily.

Suddenly, a warm hand slipped into her own. Violet eyes found cerulean. Minako was pressed tightly against her side. A wide smile that seemed brighter than even the erratic lightening lit her face and warmed Rei's heart.

"Let's find Mako-chan. Together."

'Together…' 

Rei reluctantly pulled away from Minako's warmth, but kept her fingers securely laced around the other woman's. "Lets go." She barked.

Concentrating for two was even harder than concentrating for one, but Rei found that she did a better job of finding even footing with her eyes closed when Minako was attached to her. She could only imagine the argument she'd spark if she'd caused them half the stumbles and falls she'd experienced alone. But the energy she expended to do so was taking a toll on her body.

The Priestess came to a sudden stop.

"Ne, is Mako-chan alright? I don't feel her aura any - Rei?" Minako was pressed against Rei's side once more, supporting the slightly taller woman's shaking frame. "Are you alright?"

The Martian pulled herself together, straightening her form against the other woman's concern. "I'm fine." She spat, "I just lost hold it for a second."

But even as Rei picked up the pace and pulled her along, Minako couldn't help but worry. She was tempted to demand that they stop for a rest when a familiar voice called out above the thunder.

"Minako-chan! Rei-chan!" The Jovian waved her arms and the others finally saw her in a flash of lightening.

Minako punched her tall friend on the shoulder. "Don't you know you're supposed to stand in one spot when you get lost so your rescuers can find you?"

"Well I didn't expect to get my own personal search party."

"You can thank Rei for that."

The Jovian turned serious, and rested her hands on the Martian's shoulders. "Ne, Rei-san, how was Ami when you left her?"

"Fine!" The Priestess barked. She brushed the brunette's hands off her shoulders and then held a palm to her forehead. "She was fine. But we need to get back. We're not far. You've been wandering in the right direction."

"Of course I'm not. I used to _live_ here!" Makoto chuckled, but then turned confused eyes to the Martian. "But how did you-"

"Just follow me." The Martian commanded, hauling Minako forward and leading the group back through the trees, over a slight rise, and then finally back to flat ground.

"Rei, are you sure you're alright?" It was the third time the Priestess had stumbled.

"I'm fine!" Rei said, even as she stumbled once more.

"Rei-san, perhaps we should take a break." Makoto suggested.

"No." The Martian replied hoarsely, focusing her wavering hold on Ami's aura like a man overboard would a raft. "We're almost there. Just a little more"

The Priestess led the women through a thick stand of trees, and finally, she saw the tents. They'd made it. Clutching the herbs to her chest, Makoto ran for it. Rei was vaguely aware of Minako dashing forward, pulling her hand and tugging her excitedly towards the relative comforts of the camp, but she met with the other woman with resistance.

"Rei?" Minako stood in front of the seemingly frozen woman, and when the Martian pitched forward, into the Venusian's confused but willing arms, Minako held Rei to her tightly.

"I want to hear nothing out of you."

"Rei?"

But the Martian's body had already gone limp, and Minako found herself fully supporting the other woman's weight, entirely too aware that the Priestess' weak form was burning hot and very feverish.

"Rei!"

---------

She'd only been unconscious for a moment, but she'd faded in and out of darkness since. She'd been vaguely aware of Minako shouting commands in a stressed tone. She'd been pretty certain it was Makoto who had picked her up and carried her into one of the two tents she'd set up, and she'd been fairly sure she'd seen Ami's small form darting around the tent's small footprint, laying out a bedroll and arranging supplies.

But Rei wasn't fully aware of her surroundings until the only thing she could hear was the howling winds and the rain as it drove against the tent's walls, and the only person left in front of her was Minako.

"Take your clothes off."

"What!?" Rei's already shaky legs threatened to give out beneath her.

"You're soaked and you need to dry off. Now don't make me repeat myself or I'll do it _for_ you."

Minako couldn't tell if the Priestess' hesitation was borne from her exhaustion or something else, but finally, Rei began to strip.

But she was so very weak and her arms were getting stuck in the clinging, wet material of her shirt. And so, the Venusian took the situation into her own hands.

"I didn't make you repeat yourself!" The Martian snapped as she felt Minako's hands take the hem of her shirt.

"Don't worry. I won't take advantage of you." The Venusian said, her tone light and teasing. "Not unless you _want_ me to, that is."

A quick pull of the shirt's bottom had the material up and over Rei's head, but the motion had also thrown the weak Priestess off balance. Minako had been quick to catch her though, and her arms wrapped around Rei's bare back and she pulled the other woman's form into her body.

A slight blush dusted the Martian's cheeks and she shivered, but it could have been the effects of her fever.

"I thought you said you wouldn't take advantage." Rei's quiet words were deadpan and Minako couldn't read the meaning in those cloudy, amethyst eyes.

"I said I wouldn't unless you _wanted_ me to." Minako's voice was a throaty whisper as the two women stared at each other, standing on the edge of two very different possible outcomes.

'_Coward.'_ Rei cursed herself. But even as exhaustion claimed her and she surrendered to the darkness once again, she didn't know if she was cursing herself or Minako.

---------

She'd been out long enough that when she came to, she was dry and warm, wrapped in a heavy blanket with a pillow under her head. She felt a cool towel lying on her forehead and she knew her fever had broken.

She took a chance on opening her eyes and found Minako, also dry and in fresh clothes, sitting next to her bedroll, tying the ends of her wet, raven hair into a thick braid.

"To keep the chill off you." She answered the Priestess' unspoken question as she tied a length of leather around the finished braid. Minako rose then, and as she shuffled around the tent's footprint, the Martian fingered her newly acquired hairstyle.

The Venusian returned quickly. Rei could sense her kneeling down behind her.

"Sit up." She commanded.

Rei considered resisting for only a moment.

"Good girl."

The pillow that her head had abandoned was removed, and Minako took its place, pulling Rei's back down against her chest. The Priestess was acutely aware of the warmth of the other woman's breath tickling her neck.

"This is ridiculous." The Martian spat in protest.

A cup of sharp smelling liquid was thrust into her hands in response. "Drink this. Mako-chan said it'll make you feel better."

Rei could only take the cup and stare at the leaves floating in the tepid water. How could she possibly drink with this _lump_ in her throat? But Minako's fingers splayed across the backs of her hands and brought the cup up to meet her lips, and the Priestess forced herself to drink. Wincing at its bitter taste, she pushed the cup away.

"I don't need this." She said weakly.

"Mhmm." Minako replied, even as she brought the cup to the defiant Martian's lips once more.

Rei pushed it away. "I heal quickly."

"Mhmm." The Venusian tried a third time, she wouldn't take Rei's bait, she couldn't argue with the other woman when she was like this.

"I can take care of myself!"

This protest had some amount of power behind it, and the cup Minako had offered tumbled from her hands and the Venusian found herself falling backwards; the Martian woman not only pushing her away, but also turning to follow that same motion weakly.

Minako found herself trapped; on her back with Rei's hands on either side of her head, her weak arms barely supporting her shaking torso above her.

"Can't you just accept the fact that someone wants to take care of you?"

Minako's whispered words were nearly lost to a gust of wind that threatened the tent's integrity. The frame shook and so did its occupants. The Venusian's hand reached up, and slowly cupped the Martian's cheek.

"Rei, it's not a weakness to let someone get so close to you."

The wind died down. Cerulean eyes searched amethyst. Hot breaths mingled. They were close. So close.

But then those amethyst eyes rolled backwards and though she fought it with every last ounce of her being, Rei was taken by the blackness once more.

'_Coward.'_ Minako spat, though she didn't know if she was scolding herself or the woman she held in her protective embrace.

* * *

Author's Notes:

This chapter was a lot of fun to write, especially that last part. Please review! Please?

Special Thanks for those who reviewed chapter 2, especially:  
Neuro: Thanks kindly for the compliment regarding the use of different languages. One would imagine that even under a unified Kingdom, each planet would still retain its own dialects, even if there were a common, shared language.  
Krampus: I think you know as well as anyone how much fun it is to write the sniping between Rei and Minako. It's just so much fun! And often times, the dialogue between those two really writes itself.  
ShoujoGirl: This story is actually based off the BSSM Universe. Although it's set in my own, personal AU, it's kind of a combination of the anime and manga worlds. I am, however, working on a PGSM Silver Millennium fic, but it's still in its early planning stages. More on that later!

OOO

Preview, Chapter 4: On Jupiter, Part Two: Fire-arrow

"Behind you!" Rei shouted, even as the youma she'd dropped rose to shaky feet at the discovery that its wound had not been nearly as fatal as Venus had intended.

But her words would never reach the Venusian in time, and neither would Jupiter; the tall brunette's fist sparkled with lightening as she sparred with one of two remaining intact youma.

The image of the rising youma pulling the sword from the remains of its chest and rushing Venus from behind burned itself into the Martian's retina…

A surge of power sparked deep within her. Instinct grabbed her, and the Priestess embraced it.

She raised her bow, drew back the empty string and aimed…

Rei was suddenly looking down through the sight of a flaming arrow. It felt natural, like an extension of herself, but refusing to be captured by the wonder, she focused her aim on the youma who charged after Venus… and released it.

'Please…' 

Even as the golden warrior thrust her sword deep into the heart of the youma in front of her, the body of another fell beside her, clipping her shoulder with its sharp claws and narrowly missing taking her body to the ground with it. She recognized it as her first victim… that hadn't been dead after all.

Imbedded in the back of its skull, a flaming arrow winked out of existence.

"Rei?" She asked, her eyes darting to the other end of the battlefield where the raven haired warrior slowly lowered her empty bow.


	4. Chapter 4

A Single Voice  
Chapter 4: On Jupiter, Part Two: Fire-arrow  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The morning brought what seemed like silence. With the lack of the howling winds and rumbling thunder from the night before, even the calls of the birds seemed hushed and reverent.

Rei listened closer. There were other noises, too. Gentle breathing. And an easy rhythm that matched the steady beating of her heart…

Her eyes shot open and the events of the night before hit her like a tangible force, but as soon as she took in her surroundings, she forced herself to relax so as not disturb her companion. A crooked smirk tugged at her lips.

Minako's body was draped over her own. Though the bedroll was cast over both of their bodies, she could feel one of Minako's long legs laced in between hers, an arm across her stomach, and the woman's head was nestled securely in the crook of her neck.

After the weakness she'd displayed the night before, it did the Martian a world of good to wake up with the Venusian in _her_ arms.

Rei found herself absently running her fingers through Minako's golden tresses despite herself. But when she felt the butterfly touch of eyelashes against her neck, she quickly pulled her hand away, even if the arm lightly wrapped around the Venusian's waist didn't budge.

"You're awake."

Minako snuggled even closer, tightening her grip around the stiffening Martian. "You didn't have to stop doing that, you know."

"What?"

"Playing with my hair. You didn't have to stop."

"Uh… oh."

A wide grin claimed Minako's lips when the Priestess resumed her task, this time a bit more boldly as she ran her fingernails through the Venusian's bangs and across her scalp. Minako did her best to keep her voice unaffected.

"Do you feel better?"

"Un." Rei hesitated, at odds with herself. "Thank you." She said finally.

Minako merely nodded, knowing better than to make a fuss out of the events of the night before so as to not hurt the pride of the willful Martian. Instead, she allowed herself to bask in Rei's gentle, if hesitant ministrations, and just as she nearly submitted to sleep's gentle call despite the morning hour, she felt her attention being pulled to a distinct sensation beneath her wandering fingers.

Cerulean eyes fluttered open to examine several small, raised scars on the Martian's forearm. "What happened?" She asked quietly as she examined the old wounds.

Going by the Venusian's soft, lingering touch that belied her constant snarky barbs and conflicting behaviors, Rei understood what was being asked without even looking. "They're scars left from rituals used to promote good luck and fortune before going into risky battle. A Prayer Ritual."

"A sacrifice?" Minako looked up the Martian's amethyst eyes. "And it worked?"

Rei snorted. "I'm still alive, aren't I?" She cracked a distant smile. "I haven't had to evoke the ritual in some time, but I should show it to you eventually. Your peoples may benefit from it. _We_ may benefit from it against the youma, should the battle against them worsen."

Minako nestled her head back onto Rei's chest. "I'm sure we could use all the prayers we can get." She chuckled softly. "I'm not so sure about the self mutilation thing though."

The Martian responded by tightening her arms around the golden haired woman. "No, I suppose the Venusians wouldn't appreciate that, much, even if they are mere scratches."

The mood shifted slightly. The Venusian swallowed audibly. "Ne, Rei?"

"Hmm?"

"Answer a question for me."

Whether it was due to the soft fingers that suddenly splayed across her bare midriff, or fear of a question that might wander outside of her comfort zone, the Priestess stiffened. "What?"

Minako propped herself up on an elbow. Cerulean eyes turned serious. "If someone is siphoning what you sense, does it weaken you?"

What was this woman's need to get to know her better? Rei tore her gaze from Minako's.

"Yes."

The Venusian followed the Martian's feint and her fingers were quick to lightly trace Rei's jaw line, though the stubborn Priestess offered no small amount of resistance and still refused to make eye contact with her.

But Minako was undeterred. "Then why did you let me do it last night? And the other day?"

"I…" The Priestess hesitated. Her amethyst eyes narrowed. Her fingers gripped the loose cloth of Minako's shirt tightly, only to release it again. "I… I have to pee!"

Despite the weight that held her down, the Martian managed to slip from Minako's embrace and stumble out of the tent.

The Venusian sighed and stretched out across the spot Rei had vacated. She chuckled. It was the first ungraceful rebuttal she'd heard from the woman.

'Have I affected her that much?'

* * *

"The storm broke."

"Ah."

"We should probably get up."

"Ah."

"Come on, sleepyhead. I know you've been awake for the past hour. We should break camp."

"Don't wanna."

Makoto smiled. This was a side of herself the genius only ever showed to her, but she knew an effective way of rousing the Mercurian. Her lips found the sensitive skin of Ami's collarbone and suddenly, the other woman's childish protests turned into very adult moans.

"You're worse than me." Ami purred.

"Oh, I highly doubt that. It was you who kept me up last night, despite that snake bite."

Ami smirked wickedly, another gesture she saved only for the tall Jovian pinned underneath her petite form. "I didn't hear you complaining then."

"And you won't hear me complaining now." Makoto purred as she lifted her torso to claim the other woman's increasingly tempting lips…

"I have to pee!" 

Makoto's head hit her pillow and Ami sighed.

"Sounds like they're back at it."

"Somehow, I have a feeling it was a pretty interesting night in _their_ tent, too."

* * *

Little was said after the four had broken camp. Quickly and efficiently, the warriors had packed their belongings and hit the trail once more.

Despite the weather having broken, the going was still tough. Instead of the constant rain and wind, the hot, humid weather weighed the travelers down. Attracted by the ever present mud and the promise of fresh blood, biting insects were in abundance, even as they'd progressed out of the tropical band of rainforests and into the flat prairies of tall grass beyond. The sight of the distant sun was a rare treat on the normally cloudy planet, and it slowly trekked across the sparsely cloudy sky.

Hours later, sunset on the Jovian surface brought sorely needed relief and as the orange orb of the sun met with the red and orange clouds near the horizon, dusk on the prairie looked more like a fading firestorm.

"It's getting dark already." Minako noted.

"It was harder to tell yesterday since it was storming, but a day on Jupiter lasts only ten hours." Ami said matter of factly.

"Looks like we'll be trekking through the night then." Rei barked.

"Sounds like fun." The Venusian sighed.

"Oh, it should be."

"Ami-chan, are you feeling alright?" Minako asked in a mocking voice.

Makoto raised an eyebrow to her leader. "A clear night on Jupiter is full of surprises, and we're on the perfect terrain to catch some of them."

"Some of what?" Minako asked, even as she walked right into Rei's unyielding form. Following the Priestess' upward gaze, even the yappy Venusian shut her mouth.

A cylindrical ring of light stretched across the ever-darkening sky, forming a lazy circle of electric blue and the brightest white. Nearing the sky's horizon, one of Jupiter's satellites raced its way through the night sky. A pocked orb of yellowish green, it wasn't necessarily its large size that was of interest, but more its plumes of volcanic activity that exploded outwards in wide arcs in the night sky.

"Aurora borealis," Ami's observation was more out of awe than instruction, yet it was in her nature to explain the phenomenon, "caused by the magnetic reactions of Io's volcanoes. It's a rare treat to see both at the same time."

"Ah." Minako's awed comment could do the view no justice, but then, no words could.

As the women stood in awe of the phenomenon, Io completed its fast, fiery descent just as Ganymede began to break over the opposite horizon. At twice the size of the other satellite, it showered the prairie with a crystal blue light as its smooth, icy face grew over the shrinking rainforests behind them.

Makoto's arm snaked out to rest around Ami's waist. Jupiter was her home, and to see such sights was nothing new to her. She was as easily taken by the Mercurian's beauty as the electric blue light of the aurora borealis mingled with her cobalt eyes.

Still nearly standing on top of Rei from when they'd stopped, Minako tentatively reached out for the Martian's hand and offered her an unsteady smile. "I guess we should… keep going, huh?"

"Ye… yeah." Rei replied. And when she found herself lacing her fingers with the Venusian's, she was rewarded with a full blown smile from the other woman.

"We're not far now." Ami said analytically, tearing her eyes from first the majestic display of nature, and then the less majestic yet equally as touching display between the two women, to her transparent read out that hovered before her.

And the Mercurian was right; that magical moment couldn't last forever. The four women had found the teleport circuit all too soon, and the gentle, reverent mood was broken, for standing around its metal confines, it was time to get serious.

With cold frowns on stern faces, Rei, Minako, Ami and Makoto went into warrior mode as they prepared themselves for what awaited them at Jupiter's pole.

* * *

The winds screamed like a lover scorned.

They tore across the flat valley so fast that the hazy, driving snow couldn't find purchase, and served only to threaten frostbite to what skin was exposed on the women's faces.

After donning protective layers of clothing, their packs had been abandoned at the teleport circuit, but they were quick to find that no amount of clothing could fully protect them from the wrath of Jupiter's pole.

Still, the four warriors plodded forward. Rei took the lead, a spiritual guide with a hankering for youma cutting a path through the snows. Minako trailed closely behind, both longing for the warmth of the animal skin and physical closeness they'd shared back on Mars' pole, and careful to watch the Priestess for any sign of fatigue. At the moment, the hardy Martian seemed unstoppable. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that Makoto and Ami were still up to the challenge.

"The center of the pole's just up ahead." Makoto called out over the winds.

"How do you know?" Minako demanded.

"See that vortex?" Ami asked, pointing to an eerie, cloudless void of fading aural activity where the light of dawn filtered through the swirling clouds was only beginning to banish the night's darkness. "It's a hexagon of high altitude haze that surrounds the polar region."

"Then, if the youma are here, they should be under that vortex." Minako concluded.

Ami nodded. "Hypothetically."

Makoto cracked her knuckles. "Then lets-"

"Wait!" All eyes turned to the Priestess. "Scouting party!" She barked.

Rei unstrung her bow and notched an arrow in a fluid motion, aiming it into the emptiness ahead, and the bright, golden light she associated with Minako's senshi transformation enveloped the Venusian.

Minako stood before the women as Sailor Venus and urgently turned to her other two senshi. "Don't doubt her – transform _now_!"

Blue and green glows, not too dissimilar from Minako's own, enveloped Makoto and Ami respectively. From the corner of her eye, Rei allowed herself a sideways glance of Jupiter and Mercury. Despite the foolishly scant costumes they donned, she expected them to be nearly as formidable as Venus herself.

It took a few seconds longer than she'd expected, but finally, a dozen of the loathsome creatures haphazardly appeared on the horizon.

"Rei's right." Mercury said hurriedly, examining their foes through a translucent blue screen across her eyes. "It's a scouting party. The odds are three to one, but they don't know we're here yet. If we attack first, we'll hold the element of surprise."

'_Strategist.'_ Rei realized.

Jupiter snorted. She flexed her hand and a brilliant arc of lightening appeared. "Then what are we waiting for, lets get them!"

'_Brute force.'_ The Priestess noted.

"Jupiter, you're with me." Venus said, and her warriors gave her their utmost attention. "We work best with our close range attacks. Rei and Mercury, you hang back. We'll depend on the two of you to take out as many as possible with your long range attacks before we get up close and personal with those ugly bastards.

Rei smirked. _'Commander.'_

Jupiter and Venus were off and running.

Mercury chuckled and flexed her gloved hands. A spray of bubbles filled her palms. "It's never easy to see the ones you care for run off into danger, is it?"

Rei's arrow faltered in the slightest. She chose silence, and righted her aim.

After several calculations, cobalt eyes narrowed. "Now!"

Mercury released a lethal spray of razor sharp bubbles. Hot on the trail of the elemental attack, an arrow cut through the air, followed by another, and then another, the sound of Rei's bow snapping tensely with each projectile fired in rapid succession.

Four of the youma collapsed before the scouting party had even detected the threat. The dumb creatures saw the golden and green warriors first, their courageous charge demanding their attention, even as two more of the numbers were culled by a Shabon Spray and a succession of three arrows to the skull of the other.

"Six left!" Venus shouted with a manic grin.

Jupiter chuckled heartily. "Three for you and three for me!"

The chain that had hung around the golden warrior's waist was in her hands and glowing with an eager light. "I'm aiming for something more like sixty/forty!" She exclaimed as the chain snaked out and wrapped around a monster's thick neck. She ran behind it and pulled, and it hit the frozen ground with a crash as Jupiter delivered a roundhouse kick between the red, beady eyes of another.

"Showoff!" Rei snarled as her eyes tracked Venus' movements, even as she dropped another youma with another round of the last of her arrows. "I'm out!" She barked to Mercury, who deftly took out the next of three remaining youma.

And Rei's observation had been right. Venus leapt from the chest of the youma she'd not only dropped but had run through the chest with her sword, flying through the air recklessly, limbs akimbo in the air.

"Behind you!" Rei shouted, even as the youma she'd dropped earlier rose to shaky feet at the discovery that its wound had not been nearly as fatal as Venus had intended.

But her words would never reach the Venusian in time, and neither would Jupiter; the tall brunette's fist sparkled with lightening as she sparred with one of two remaining intact youma.

The image of the rising youma pulling the sword from the remains of its chest and rushing Venus from behind burned itself into the Martian's retina…

A surge of power sparked deep within her. Instinct grabbed her and the Priestess embraced it.

She raised her bow, drew back the empty string and aimed…

Rei was suddenly looking down through the sight of a flaming arrow. It felt natural, like an extension of herself, but refusing to be captured by the wonder, she focused her sight on the youma who charged after Venus… and released it.

'Please…' 

Even as the golden warrior thrust her sword deep into the heart of the youma in front of her, the body of another fell beside her, clipping her shoulder with its sharp claws and narrowly missed taking her body to the ground with it. She recognized it as her first victim that hadn't been dead after all…

And imbedded in the back of its skull, a flaming arrow winked out of existence.

"Rei?" She asked, her eyes darting to the other end of the battlefield where the raven haired warrior lowered her empty bow. Their gazes leveled on one another, and before she was even aware of it, Venus had taken to her feet.

She sprinted past Mercury, each woman dashing in opposite directions with different targets. All too soon, the leader of the senshi was standing before the Martian in baited silence.

Rei avoided the obvious. "Shouldn't you have that looked at?" She pointed to the ugly wound left by the youma's claws. It wasn't deep, but it must have been painful.

Venus looked to her shoulder. She looked back at Rei. Her golden light enveloped her once more. Venus Minako was left in its wake, clad in her winter gear. The woman tugged at the collar of her heavy jacket, revealing the wound. Rei gasped. The skin was slowly mending itself right before her eyes.

She had questions, but so did Minako.

"What was that." She demanded almost coldly.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Rei. How did create that fire-arrow?"

The Priestess faltered. She'd like to know the answer to that question herself. "I… don't know." She whispered, her voice rising in volume quickly. "It just happened!" There had been no time to analyze the situation; she'd acted on instinct. She didn't even know if she could access that wonderful, frightening power again.

The two women stared at each other. The wind howled through the small gap left between their bodies.

"Mina-chan! Rei-san!"

The two turned to Makoto, and the tall warrior pointed urgently to a slight rise in the distance.

Rei looked back to Minako and nodded, for she knew.

The youma base was just over that rise.

* * *

The frozen ground was colder than the air itself, yet the four women lay flat on their bellies as they peered over the rise to avoid detection.

Underneath the atmospheric void of the pole, a gathering of youma that rivaled what Minako and Rei had found on Mars was a bustling city of youma.

"Wait." Ami said distractedly, analyzing the data her VR goggles relayed to her. "It's not just youma…"

Rei's brows furrowed. She squinted and sent a part of her consciousness out and over the youma camp.

"I see… people." The Mercurian said, magnifying her goggles to show her the center of the youma camp. A small projection appeared before the four warriors.

"Victims?" Rei asked. "They feed off of, and gather life energy-"

"No. They're alive." Ami's cryptic response was more than unsettling.

The grainy projection blurred, and then refocused. Amongst the foul creatures, surrounding the access point from which more and more of the disposable monster soldiers appeared, were five other forms.

"Their signatures are weak." Ami said hurriedly as she analyzed their astral footprints. She gasped. "They might be-"

"_Humans_." Rei spat with no small amount of derision. "I can sense it."

"Earthlings?" Makoto's whispered words were telling. "Ami?"

The petite woman could only nod darkly.

Minako snorted. "Serenity won't be happy about this."

"The Queen?" Rei asked.

"And the Princess." Minako confirmed.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Please leave a review! Constructive criticism is always welcome. This chapter lays the groundwork for several threads to be explored in upcoming chapters.

By the way, the youma that I'm using are direct copies of the youma that appeared early on in the Sailor Moon S arc, like the one that attacked when Haruka first accepted her henshin wand. They were by far the ugliest of the monsters, and somehow, the most realistic in terms of actually looking like monsters.

I also have to admit that I took the easy way out with Ami and Makoto's relationship by having them already be an item before the story started. I'm not as comfortable writing them, and since they weren't the main focus of the storyline, I cheated a little by having them already be together.

Special thanks to:  
Neuro: I got your biting insects for you. And don't make this a competition about who can be more cruel to Ami. You'll win that in a heartbeat! Also, Rei's fever in the last chapter was caused by both the weather, the exertion caused by tracking the auras of her friends, and by Minako siphoning that power from her.  
Hanyou: I'm glad the fact that this is AU does not throw you off. I hope I continue to live up to your standards. And yes, you'll see each of the other inner planets with time, too.  
Bomichan: Thanks again, and especially for your advice on the other snippet!  
LicketySplat: Thanks for the praise, hope you like the following chapters just as much.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 5: When I'm Sober

"Mina-chan, shouldn't you be with the others? I thought the four of you were going to develop a plan for your next mission."

"Yes, I'll join them soon." Plans had already started to form in the Venusian's mind, but they could wait for the moment. Minako stepped closer to her Princess. "I… hope you don't mind, Serenity-chan, but, there is a question I'd like to ask."

Serenity took Minako's hands. "Anything."

The Venusian's shoulders stiffened and their hands became quite interesting. "When we attacked the scouting party on Jupiter's pole, Rei ran out of arrows," a lengthy pause ensued and Serenity did not press the matter. Minako finally met her Princess' gaze, "but she saved me with an arrow born of-"

"Shh." The Princess of the Moon pressed a finger to her senshi's lips and when Minako looked to her in question, her sweet smile somehow set the other woman at ease.

"It's supposed to be this way, Mina-chan." She smiled sagely. "Now, your friends are waiting for you."

OOO

(preview, part 2)

"People are _watching_." She finally hissed.

Minako sucked her teeth noisily. "Let them." She met Rei's amethyst eyes with no small amount of amusement. "Unless you could honestly say that _you_ wouldn't appreciate two beautiful women walking down the street arm in arm?"

Rei snorted and looked away. Minako won.

"Besides,_ I_ think you like it." She said smugly.

"Or maybe I just don't have a free hand to ward off your drunken advances."

The Venusian chuckled. "Aren't we doing this all backwards?"

"What?"

"Isn't the sober one supposed to take advantage of the drunken one?"

"I hate to break this to you, Minako, but it's not seduction if you tell the other party what you're doing."


	5. Chapter 5

A Single Voice  
Chapter 5: When I'm Sober  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Four women marched down the halls of the Moon Palace. Formal gowns swished from side to side. Three sets of heels effortlessly matched pace. One was more than slightly off kilter.

Rei snarled. "I told you I _hate_ these outfits."

"And I think I've made it abundantly clear that I.Don't.Care." Minako smiled and winked at the irritated Priestess.

Ami raised an eyebrow at Makoto. The taller woman simply hid a snicker behind her hand at Rei's plight. At least now they were fairly confident in their understanding as to why their leader had asked them to dress up for what had seemed like no reason.

"Here we are," Minako announced as she swung open the heavy doors to the Princess' outdoor courtyard.

Lying on her stomach in the soft grass of a small garden in the court's center, Princess Serenity turned to the intrusion and her eyes lit up upon seeing her guardians. As they approached, Serenity was quick to rearrange the holographic images displayed before her, quickly sending the image on top behind the rest.

She rose daintily, patting at the bits of grass that clung to her flowing white dress before trotting to her friends.

Rei was her first target and she wrapped her arms around the stiff Martian's bare shoulders. "Rei-chan, your hair looks wonderful in a braid! You should wear it this way more often." She said this sagely as her fingers toyed with the thick, ebony tail.

"Ch'." Rei cursed. "Whatever."

Minako scowled in the Priestess' general direction but Rei had discovered her mistake too late, and the woman who had braided her hair in the first place turned a cold shoulder, even as Serenity abandoned Rei for the Venusian.

"Don't be upset, Mina-chan, I'll bet your hair would look beautiful braided too!"

Minako chuckled, all traces of animosity gone as she returned her Princess' feverish embrace. Before she knew it, the woman was flittering off towards her other two guardians, eager to dote as equally on Makoto and Ami.

Rei watched this unabashed display of affection with a detached fondness, a distant smile on her lips. The Princess was endearing, indeed, and she found herself envious of the ease at which Serenity displayed her emotions.

'_Unlike someone else I know.'_ Rei mused, even if she was completely aware that she wasn't only referring to Minako, but herself.

Feeling familiar eyes on her, she turned to the Venusian, who snapped her gaze away once she'd been caught. Minako stuck her nose to the air with a quiet "Hmpff."

When the exuberant Princess could finally be coaxed into relaxing, the five women spread themselves about on the grass of the courtyard. Serenity's hands were clasped within the leader of her senshi's.

"Ne, Mina-chan, Mother tells me that the youma invasions on the other planets might be tied to planet Earth." Watery eyes implored her guardian. "Tell me it isn't so."

The Venusian smiled sadly. She wished nothing more than to tell Serenity what she hoped to hear but she loved her charge too much as to blatantly lie.

"Our last mission indicated that this is the case, Princess," those blue eyes lowered to the ground and for Minako, it was akin to a punch in the gut, "but we still have more research to do, and the conclusion is _not_ final." She urged. And even as that excited sparkle returned to the Princess' eyes, Minako chastised herself for allowing for false hope.

"You do love the Earth so, don't you, Serenity-chan?"

Ami's gentle voice was a boon to the young woman, and she nodded eagerly.

"As if _this_ were any clue," Makoto chuckled deeply, reaching for the transparent tiles of the stack of holograms that the Princess had all but forgotten. The Jovian's fingers touched the topmost tile, and the transparent image sprang into bright, vivid colors. It displayed in great clarity an island nation surrounded by a brilliant, aqua ocean.

"Nippon." Ami said sagely. "Earth's ruling nation."

The Princess nodded and Makoto tapped the image to display the next - a wooded valley from which tall green and rocky cliffs surrounded three sides. A river meandered around this valley and in its center, a stone city stood as an imposing fortress.

"Edo. Nippon's capital."

Serenity nodded once more, and Makoto cycled through several more images of the city's noteworthy attractions while the Jovian's counterpart was quick to rattle off the names of each.

But nearing the last image, Serenity's hand reached out hesitatingly, and Ami's voice hitched in her throat.

The image of a tall, dark haired man sporting a black cloak and shoulder armor sat on a throne. His deep brown eyes seemed very kind.

Rei's eyes narrowed perceptibly as she examined that image.

"…Prince… Endymion." Ami finally said.

Serenity grabbed the images and they winked back into faint, transparent tiles. "It's a part of my studies." She was quick to clarify.

Ami fidgeted slightly. "Of course, Princess."

Minako drew herself up, assuming her station. "Lets discuss out next steps." The women took the distraction eagerly, Serenity included. "We don't know for sure that Earth holds the answer to the youma invasion."

Rei practically glared daggers, but the Venusian forced herself to ignore the other woman. The rest of her senshi gave her mixed looks and she tempered their concern by shifting her eyes in Serenity's direction.  
"And we can't just march onto Earth looking for answers and do as we wish."

"Why not?" Rei demanded.

"Because the Earth is a _protected place_." Minako nearly hissed.

"Rei-san," Ami urged, too eager to quell the tension between the two willful women with her gentle knowledge, "The Moon Kingdom designated the Earth as neutral territory and declared themselves protectors of that planet three years ago. However…"

Her voice quieted and she cast her gaze at her Princess. "The Earth seems to be growing weary of the Moon of late. They had initially agreed to the arrangement when Prince Endymion and their ruling class met here for discussions three years ago, but the people of that planet seem to be changing their minds. The general consensus is that the Moon Kingdom is holding them under our thumb, and reports indicate that they grow mistrustful of our intent, and harbor fears of our long life spans, wealth, and technological powers."

Minako snorted, and sniped at Rei. "You'd know all this if you barbarians would pull your head out of your civil wars once in awhile."

"We just want to help them." Serenity's voice was a sad whisper.

Rei's mouth shut with an audible click. She hadn't the heart to continue to argue a point that had already passed with the Venusian.

Makoto laid a supportive hand on her Princess' shoulder. "We'll try our best."

"Talks are slated to start soon," Ami informed Rei, "between the Earth and the Moon. Hopefully, we can clear up some of the misunderstandings."

"And in the meantime, Earth is to remain off limits." Minako reinforced. "We'll develop another plan to gather information on the youma threat."

Makoto rested her chin in her hand. "We'll be torn in many different directions."

The Venusian nodded. "We'll be tasked with attending the talks with the Earth, ongoing research of the youma threat, and I'm declaring that our guard of the Princess should increase soon as well."

This comment was met with a whine from the woman in question. Minako smiled indulgently and squeezed Serenity's hand. "We have to ensure your safety. No more missions like our last one. One of us will always be by your side."

The Princess nodded, and accepted her fate.

* * *

Noticing that one of her senshi had lingered, Serenity slowly approached the leader of her guard. The Venusian wrung her fingers against the waist of her orange dress. She would not meet her Princess' gaze. 

"Mina-chan, shouldn't you be with the others? I thought the four of you were going to develop a plan for your next mission." Serenity's voice was soft and coaxing.

"Yes, I'll join them soon." Plans had already started to form in the Venusian's mind, but they could wait for the moment. Minako stepped closer to her Princess. "I… hope you don't mind, Serenity-chan, but, there is a question I'd like to ask."

Serenity took Minako's hands. "Anything."

The Venusian's shoulders stiffened and her hands where they were linked with the Princess' became quite interesting. "When we attacked the scouting party on Jupiter's pole, Rei ran out of arrows," a lengthy pause ensued and Serenity did not press the matter. Minako finally met her Princess' gaze with darkened eyes, "but she saved me with an arrow born of-"

"Shh." The Princess of the Moon pressed a finger to her senshi's lips and when Minako looked to her in question, her sweet smile somehow set the other woman at ease.

"It's supposed to be this way, Mina-chan." She smiled sagely. "Now, your friends are waiting for you."

* * *

In the senshi's private courtyard that served as an antechamber to their private rooms, the Mercurian woman sat hunched over a transparent screen, small fingers nimbly tapping away at the translucent keyboard. It was not the Martian's way to look over one's shoulder, but the technology caught her attention. 

"Are you researching the youma, Ami-san?"

The blunette didn't so much as look back to the Priestess and her fingers never missed a beat. "No. Something unrelated, but just as interesting. A phenomenon that I've been tracking over the past several years."

Makoto sidled towards the smaller woman and laid a hand on the shoulder the Martian wasn't standing over. "Sunspot activity again?"

"Un." Ami said, and finally turned her attention to Rei. "The solar maximum was five years ago, so we should be in a period of solar minimum. But… the sun has been showing an unprecedented amount of activity in the past three years."

"Three years?" Rei asked.

"Yes. Solar flares and sunspots have grown increasingly more common and more and more intense. I fear that if it continues at this rate, the whole solar system could be affected. Temperature increases, droughts, crop failures, the cascading effect could prove most worrisome."

"This is all hypothetical though." Rei said, rather than asked.

"Well, yes."

"Then stop worrying, Ami-chan." Makoto said, ruffling the other woman's bangs messily.

Never the less, as distracted hands smoothed her blue hair back down, the Mercurian squinted uneasily at the data before her.

Suddenly, the door swung on its hinges, and that loud disruption heralded Venus Minako. The golden haired woman marched forward, the heels of her shoes muffled by the thick, ornate rug beneath her feet.

"Rei, you're coming with me." She barked.

The Priestess frowned. "Eh?"

"We're going to Mercury."

"That would be the logical step for the next mission." Ami said. She turned back to her computer, minimized the window she was analyzing, opened a new one, and began inputting data immediately. "I will stay behind. By supporting your mission via the Moon's Eternity Main System, I can analyze and theorize much quicker from here."

"I'll accompany you two." Makoto said gruffly.

"No. You'll stay here and guard the Princess. We already decided to up her security detail."

The Jovian's hazel eyes hardened. "But, for only two senshi to… " She caught herself. Rei was a formidable warrior, and it was easy to forget she wasn't one of them. "I mean, the two of you shouldn't go to a pole full of youma alone."

"Minako and I are up to this task. Besides," she said causally, "I'm the only one that can sense them and track their locations."

Rei's quiet words seemed to strengthen Minako, and the Venusian stood taller, a small amount of softness in her eyes tempering her commanding tone. "We've done it before."

The Jovian's shoulders slumped. "Fine, but that means the both of you have to agree to two conditions." Minako raised an interested brow and Makoto continued in a serious tone. "First, you have to agree that you'll not go _looking_ for trouble. No fighting the youma if you can avoid it."

"And second?" Minako asked her tall subordinate.

"No fighting with each _other_, either."

Rei and Minako looked to each other. Eyebrows rose. Amused snorts fired off at the same time.

"We'll try to behave ourselves."

* * *

Ruffling the expansive canopy of the tall oak tree, a slight breeze blew across the Sea of Serenity, and Minako was unsurprised to find Rei sitting under the bough of the tree she had found her near days before. 

'_I don't know if _I_ could have gotten her out of that dress faster.' _She considered.

The leader of the senshi was momentarily caught off guard at the intensity of the thought. She shrugged it off. She had only meant to express the Martian's dislike for formal wear. _'She _does_ look quite handsome in that getup, though.'_

"For as much as you stare at that sea, one would think you'd want to go swimming."

It could have been bait, but Rei chose not to bite, and continued to marvel at the ocean as the sun trekked across the rim of the mountains that bordered that body of water. "We have nothing like it on Mars. I've never seen anything so breathtaking."

The Venusian titled her head, surprised that the Martian would be so candid. A distant smile touched her lips. Was she starting to open up to her?

Rei finally turned to the presence she'd sensed before Minako's words had heralded her appearance, and she quickly found herself questioning the validity of her last statement.

For she very much _had_ lost her breath.

The Venusian had also shed her formal wear for more casual Lunarian fare. In direct contrast to the Martian's neatly tailored trousers and fitted shirt, Minako sported a short skirt and gauzy blouse and the sides of her long, blonde hair were pinned up into a half ponytail.

Minako smiled softly. Empathic as she could be, she basked in the reaction she'd hoped for. "Why don't we get a closer look?" She offered quietly.

"At what, exactly?" The slightest on inflections laced Rei's voice and the two women stared at each other for a long moment.

The golden warrior straddled the fine line for a tense moment, and then smiled widely. "At the sea, of course!" She exclaimed. "Or more precisely, Montes Haemus," she pointed to the foot of the mountain range that began where the Moon Palace ended. The lights of the city nestled at the water's edge beckoned brightly. "Only the best seaside shopping this side of Venus."

Rei frowned. "Shouldn't we be preparing for our mission? I thought Ami-san was going to brief you on-"

"Stop being so boring!" Minako cried. " Besides, I'm the leader, and I say we're going shopping. You might like it here more than you think. Let me show you around a little."

The Martian looked to the hand offered before her. Her eyes narrowed. She suspected a trap. "What is this, a date?"

Minako smirked and forcibly took Rei's hand, pulling the slightly taller woman to her feet. "If that's what makes _you_ happy." She said dismissively.

* * *

The effect of 'night', she'd been told, was a product of the Moon's supercomputer, the Eternity Main System. It could create pockets of atmosphere and weather, and even replicate nightfall, which was a phenomenon not seen on their side of the Moon, as it was stuck in synchronous orbit with the Earth. Rei found she quite liked the effect, for she had missed the night since arriving on the Moon; the thick curtains in the room she'd been given did little to mask the fact that the sun was out and shining at all times. 

Paper lanterns lined the narrow cobblestone streets that wound along the foothills of Montes Haemus. The streets were wide enough only for foot traffic and a small collection of mismatched tables and chairs that bordered the sidewalk cafes. At one of those tables, Rei and Minako sat comfortably.

Several shopping bags were gathered at the Priestess' feet, clothes and accessories nearly spilling from each one. Most of it belonged to the Venusian, but an outfit or two belonged to the Martian, who had been desperate for any excuse to keep the clingy leader of the senshi out of her dressing room while she changed into outfit after outfit pushed upon her by said woman – even if it meant purchasing clothes she'd likely never wear.

Minako leaned across the table, supporting herself on an elbow while she spun her crimson wine around the edge of a wide glass lazily. A wide smile slowly captured her lips.

"I've drank two more than you." She declared.

Rei smirked at the singsong quality of the Venusian's voice. "Last time I checked, this wasn't a competition."

Minako snorted. "You've gone soft."

The Priestess stood suddenly and collected the bags at her feet. "Back to the palace with you. You've reached your limit, and we have a mission in the morning."

The Venusian blew a raspberry in the Martian's general direction. "You're no fun."

"I've never claimed to be." Rei said simply as she shifted their bags to one hand and wrapped an arm around Minako's waist to pull the other woman to her feet. As expected, the Venusian leaned into Rei's form eagerly, and the Priestess led them down the busy street, unsurprised when Minako began to fully take advantage of the situation.

Rei stiffened. The golden warrior's hands had always had a propensity to wander, but this was a bit much. There were everywhere – around her waist, along her ribcage, pressed against the small of her back, resting on her hip in the bare spot at her midriff between her shirt and the low waist of her trousers… the Priestess shuddered. And why couldn't she help but notice that the slightly smaller blonde fit against her side so comfortably?

"People are _watching_." She finally hissed.

Minako sucked her teeth noisily. "Let them." She met Rei's amethyst eyes with no small amount of amusement. "Unless you could honestly say that _you_ wouldn't appreciate two beautiful women walking down the street arm in arm?"

Rei snorted and looked away. Minako won.

"Besides,_ I_ think you like it." Minako said smugly.

"Or maybe I just don't have a free hand to ward off your drunken advances."

The Venusian chuckled. "Aren't we doing this all backwards?"

"What?"

"Isn't the sober one supposed to take advantage of the drunken one?"

"I hate to break this to you, Minako, but it's not seduction if you tell the other party what you're doing."

Guided by the dim streetlights and the pinpoint brightness of the fabricated stars above, their laughter mingled as the two women left the city proper and reentered the Moon Palace. Both women blinked, disoriented, as they left the confines of the town's false night, and the brightness of full day on the moon caused them both to stumble slightly. However, despite the appearance of mid afternoon, the hour was late, and most Lunarians would be fast asleep.

"Quiet now," Rei warned gently, "or you'll wake the entire Palace."

Indeed, Minako's alcohol induced laughter had tapered off, and the woman's tiring form relied more and more on Rei's strength to see her to her to her room.

The Martian dropped the handful of bags at the Venusian's door in order to be able to turn the knob, and with some amount of effort, she pushed the bags inside the door with a foot, pulled the woman in her arms out of the hallway, and then managed to shut the door behind her with her foot.

The golden-blue glow provided by the Sun and the Earth where it streamed through a small crack in the heavy curtains that shielded the window was ample light to see by, and Rei guided Minako across the large room to an expansive bed. With one arm, she held the Venusian to her chest as she pulled sharply on the soft comforter and the sheet below. When she began to gently lower the blonde to the bed, deceptively strong arms tightened around her neck.

"Its okay, I'm just-"

Rei's breath hitched in her throat when warm, wet lips kissed her on the cheek. Then on her jaw line. Then on the tender skin of her neck, where Minako's lips lingered temptingly long.

Rei ducked out of Minako's embrace and stood straight. A hand was quick to dart out and grab her wrist before the Martian could pull away.

"Stay with me tonight." Minako nearly pleaded.

"No." Rei said quietly. "Not when you're drunk."

"When I'm sober then?"

The Martian smiled slightly. She leaned down and planted a feather light kiss on Minako's forehead. "Goodnight, _Princess_."

Rei forced herself to retreat to the door. The small sliver of silver light from the hallway illuminated her gentle features and pale complexion.

"Rei?"

The Priestess looked over her shoulder. "Hmm?"

"I like it when you call me that."

Rei smiled, and shut the door behind her.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

I freely admit that Minako's 'Call me Princess' line is influenced by PGSM. Wouldn't it be great to hear Ayaka's Minako/Venus say that to Keiko's Rei/Mars? Quite honestly, as much as I enjoyed working with the manga/anime inspired versions of the Sailor Moon characters in this fic, I wish I could have used the PGSM characters. But… I think it just may turn out better this way.

Ah, and more plot is introduced! Sunspot activity may be threatening the solar system. Talks with the Earth will start soon, the youma invasion doesn't seem to be lessening. What does it all mean?

Please leave a review! I'd also like to thank everyone who has signed up for alerts/favorited A Single Voice. I can't believe it! I'd like to know what _you_ guys think too!

Special Thanks:  
Bomichan: I think Minako is suspicious of Rei's fire-arrow, but doesn't really know what to think about it yet. More on that in the next chapter, as well as the humans we saw in the last.  
Rikku's twin: aha, thank you!  
Neuro: okay, let's geek out, others might like this too. The solar system in this fic does keep the same order as today's. I've incorporated all of today's inhospitable aspects of the planets and just made them more livable. Plausible? No. But that's the glory of fiction. :3  
Edge982: That's quite an honor. Thanks for going through the trouble! I hope the pacing continues to please.  
Hanyou: yes, the 'side-dish' of Ami/Mako is enjoyable, even if it is a cop-out! More on the humans and Serenity's knowledge to come soon.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 6: On Mercury: What You Wanted

Of all things to do, Venus laughed. "If we make it out of this I'm going to kill you."

Rei snorted. "_Now_ what did I do?"

"That stunt you pulled back there that earned you that wound."

"The wound is nothing, it's just a scrape. Look, I'm fine! I'm barely even bleeding." The Martian sliced the air before her, effortlessly twirling her sword in wide arcs to prove her point.

The golden warrior was unimpressed. "I'm warning you, Rei, don't you _ever_ sacrifice yourself for me again."

"Sacrifice?" Rei cried. "What are you talking about? You claim to be this great diplomat, but you know _nothing_ of Martian behaviors-"

The youma took that as their cue and as one, their lumbering forms charged the two women.

But as the wall of monsters approached, the Martian dropped to her knees in a boneless heap. Her hand came to rest above her heart. Her breath all but froze in her lungs. Her vision turned red. _'What is this?'_ Her eyes focused on the golden warrior – standing, she was an easier target, and as fierce claws reached for Venus' slender form, Rei felt the power she'd experienced on Jupiter surge to life within her.

She didn't hesitate. She embraced it fully. Rei screamed. She felt like she was on fire.

In reality, she was.


	6. Chapter 6

A Single Voice  
Chapter 6: On Mercury: What You Wanted  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Server banks lined the floor as far as the eye could see.

Green and red lights blinked irregularly, creating a universe of stop and go stars. The white noise of thousands of cooling fans was a constant hum that could be felt in one's feet. The gentle breeze that was artificially pumped through the massive space was goosebump inducing, and the tall brunette held her arms to her chest gingerly.

"It's creepy in here."

"The Eternity Main System is hardly anything to be afraid of." Her blue haired companion said with an airy chuckle, even as her eyes were held captive to the translucent readout before her.

Makoto stomped ten feet from Ami, turned, and paced back again. "Still, this is no place for me. I should be on Mercury, with Venus and Rei-san."

Ami tore her eyes from her data and swiveled in her chair. She caught the Jovian by the wrist as she paced past. "Mako-chan, you know you don't have to fight to be useful."

A blush dusted Makoto's cheeks and her hazel eyes darted to the floor, yet a small smile teased the corner of her mouth. Ami had taught her this lesson on several occasions, but it was one the tomboy was still learning to accept.

"Besides," Ami said, "I think this is something Mina-chan and Rei-san have to figure out on their own."

"And you're not talking about the mission anymore."

The blunette raised a suggestive eyebrow. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about." She spun back to her workstation before her best friend could give her a case of the giggles. "Now, you need to go. Serenity-chan will be expecting you shortly."

The Jovian glanced down at her chronometer and nodded. Their Princess would be wrapping up her tutoring session soon. She laid a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder. "I'll bring you something sweet after my guard shift ends."

Ami looked back over her shoulder. "Why not now?"

"But I don't have-"

Ami grabbed Makoto by her collar and pulled the other woman towards her for upside down kiss.

"That'll do." She said cheerfully before she retuned her attention back to her readout.

* * *

She could barely breathe. 

Mercury's atmosphere was notoriously thin, and the solar winds that sheared at the nearly non-existent stratospheres of the poles only made oxygen that much harder to come by.

"You should transform." Rei said sharply, her words short and clipped to conserve her breath.

"It's the skirt, isn't it? I bet it gets you every time."

"I… what!?" The Priestess looked back over her shoulder where Minako laughed shallowly and then choked from the effort.

"Serves you right." Rei barked. "I only thought it would make it easier for you to breathe in that form."

The leader of the senshi touched a finger to her chin. "It probably would." She admitted. "But you don't have that advantage."

Rei's eyes narrowed. "So?"

Minako opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the chronometer communicators strapped to both hers and Rei's wrists.

"Ami to Venus."

"Minako here."

The Martian's brows met and she gestured to the Venusian. "See? Even the brains of this operation thinks you should transform." She hissed.

Minako snorted. "I _am_ the brains of this operation."

Rei sighed. "We're officially doomed."

The leader of the senshi smiled cheerfully and pushed the Priestess forward as Ami spoke.

"The transport circuit that brought you just left should only be a few hours walk from the technical point of the pole. It shouldn't be a long journey."

"Ch'. If only Jupiter had been that easy." Rei mumbled.

Minako frowned. She wouldn't have had Jupiter any other way, but then, the Martian seemed to be known for her bravado and careless attitude and she decided not to dwell on it.

The air was eerily still and quiet. The women's boots crunched on loose gravel and the splintering cracks of thin sheets of ice elicited chilling shockwaves that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Minako's boot crunched an empty hole in the ice. "It's freezing here, but the ice is so thin."

"Because the sun's proximity is so close, its intensity keeps perma-ice from forming, even though it is very cold. The further north you travel, the thicker the ice will get."

Ami's text book explanation was obvious, both women could feel the intensity of the sun; its heat was a direct contrast to the cold temperatures, and gave a result of feeling both icily cold and stifling warm at the same time.

After awhile, Minako shuddered. The silence became too much to bear. "You're missing a very eerie landscape, Ami-chan."

"I envy that you're witnessing first hand what I've seen only in pictures." The Mercurian admitted.

"Gotten over your fear of poles, Ami-chan?"

Minako was met with silence. Apparently not, then.

* * *

Ami had gone silent. Through her companions, she was absorbing data from her planet's pole. 

Hours passed slowly. The sun, never more than a looming, orange half circle that hugged the cratered horizon, had set and risen once already due to the planet's short day span, and Minako and Rei had ventured into harsher territory where the colder climate saw less of the sun's effects.

"Ch'." It was a simple curse, but she'd tired of mumbling longer ones as falling onto her rear end became a more frequent endeavor. The Martian Priestess rubbed her backside tenderly. She's take snow over ice any day.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Minako took advantage of the situation. "You know, you have terrible balance for a savage."

"Please." Rei groaned. "I've picked your ass up off the ground twice as often as I've fallen."

"I've barely fallen at all. You exaggerate."

"You underestimate, _Princess_."

"Ah, so you took my words to heart last night, ne?"

"Considering how much you drank, I'm surprised you even _remembered_ your words from last night."

Rei scrambled to her knees and prepared to rise when a hand was thrust into her face. She smirked at the Venusian and took the proffered hand to be aided to her feet. And there they stood before each other, unsure if their shallow breaths and quickened heartbeats were solely attributed to the thin atmosphere anymore.

They were throwing verbal barbs one minute and holding hands the next, but Rei found herself guessing that the Venusian's actions were more telling than her words. She could be so gentle one moment, yet harsh the next, but was that really any different than herself?

Under the Martian's scrutinizing gaze, the Venusian's eyes darted away and she wrenched her hand out of Rei's grasp quickly.

"Minako?"

"I don't want to siphon your energy." The Venusian said causally, remembering that that she really _had_ chosen to bring Rei with her for reasons that weren't entirely selfish. With her nose to the air, she began walking away.

The Priestess forged forward and grabbed Minako's hand. "It'll be okay. We're getting close now, anyway."

The Venusian's gaze trailed to where their hands were joined. "But…"

"The dark energy is strong here," Rei said awkwardly, "and there's lots of it, and…"

Cerulean eyes looked hopeful. "And?"

"Well, I don't _like_ the youma. It makes them much easier to track…"

Rei's words died a slow death on her tongue. When last she'd used her sensing abilities, she'd feared for Minako's safety. Her feelings for the other woman were a jumbled mess. There were a million other reasons why it had drained her so quickly. Rei had only settled on the safest.

"Oh?" Minako asked, and suddenly, her teasing, flirtatious nature had returned. She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Then, _do_ you like – ah!"

Rei sighed and helped the other woman up off the ground, but she kept a firm hand around Minako's own as she advanced once more.

Having been robbed of the moment, the Venusian was irked and had begun to pout when she felt the first twinges of what Rei sensed through the link they shared. The pout faded from her lips. Her brows furrowed. She found herself biting her lower lip. The darkness that permeated the auras that Rei tracked was nearly incapacitating. Glancing at the other woman, who forged forward despite being bombarded by the same darkness, she steeled herself, for the unpleasantness of the auras they tracked was preferable to the alternative of not walking hand in hand with the Martian.

"You know," Minako began, eager for any amount of small talk to distract herself from the unpleasantness, "I have an innate ability like your ability to track auras."

"Hn?"

"I can't read minds or anything, but I am empathic."

"Empathic?"

"I can sense strong emotions from others; sadness, loneliness, excitement, but especially love."

"Love?" Rei's frown was indicative of a deep mistrust of the word.

"Well, it _is_ the ruling power of my planet."

"Of course it is." Rei said dryly, but her clipped words seemed to put off the Venusian. She was unused to all this... speaking openly. But she wanted to try. "Tell me more." She said hesitantly.

"Well, Ami-chan and Mako-chan, for example."

"Even I figured _that_ one out."

"Fine then." Minako stuck her nose to the air again. "Well then, you haven't met him yet, and they haven't seen each other in awhile, but Prince Endymion and Serenity-chan."

Rei's eyes narrowed. "Ah." She said, slowing her pace.

"Un. That's makes this whole situation with the Earth that much more difficult."

"Well, what about you, then?" Rei asked over her shoulder, not so offhandedly

"What _about_ me?" Minako asked dumbly.

Rei titled her head at her and the Venusian blushed faintly. "Oh! Oh. I've… I've never been able to get a reading on myself, strangely enough." Minako stopped walking all together, and when Rei was met with resistance, she too stopped and looked at the other woman over her shoulder in question.

The slightly smaller woman claimed the space that had formed between them. "And for some reason, I can't seem to read _you_, either."

Suddenly, their communicators crackled, and both women physically flinched. "Why have you two stopped? Is everything all right? The technical point of the pole is very close now."

'_Great timing, Ami-chan.' _Minako growled to herself.

Rei pointed to the distance where the ragged edge of a massive crater gave way to a sharp blackness beyond. Minako nodded, and the two women headed in that direction with renewed determination.

"Chao-Meng-Fu Crater." Ami whispered. "An impact crater that is one hundred and ten miles wide. Could they be hiding there?"

Rei nodded with no amount of doubt.

"We seem to think so, Ami-chan."

The two women sidled up to the crater's edge, laying their bodies flat against the rise to avoid detection.

"It's… too dark to see." Rei whispered.

"The angle of the sun doesn't allow any light into the crater's depths." Ami said. "I was prepared for this. Switch your communicators to infrared display. My visor will pick up what your communicators see."

The women toggled through several settings on their chronometers and blue shield like apparatuses, similar to the one Mercury possessed in her senshi form, flashed before their eyes. The Martian was a little taken aback by the technology and took some time adjusting to the false color display. At first, they thought something was wrong with the equipment, as all they could see was a pulsing, undulating mass of reds and yellows. But then…

"Ami-chan, is there-"

"No. Nothing's wrong with the equipment. There really are just that many youma down there. Tens of thousands." She whispered. "At least."

Rei could feel Minako shiver next to her body and fought the urge to do so herself. Regaining her calm composure, her eyes continued to scan the crater. "There," she finally said, "in the center of the crater, coordinates J3, 1T."

"Just like on Mars and Jupiter." Minako said.

"You're right," Ami confirmed, "they're circulating around the access point."

"And _they're_ there," Rei said darkly, "the humans."

Minako looked to her companion. "Can you be sure they're the same as the humans we saw on Jupiter?"

"We were rather far away on Jupiter to make out any details," Ami noted, "and here, all we have is infrared, so we can't really-"

"They're the same." Rei spat. "I can tell by their auras. Four human men, one human woman. They're nearly as tainted by the darkness as the youma, but… I can't sense anything distinguishable. The darkness that surrounds them is so great that I can't identify them further."

"So we still have little to go by."

Ami's comment was purely analytical in nature, but Rei growled nonetheless.

"Wait," Ami said. "The two of you, focus on the access point. We may be able to leave here with more information."

Minako and Rei did as they were told, only to be met with the Mercurian's frustrated sigh. "No go. I'd hoped to get a reading on the access point; to discern if it was made of Earth materials, but I just can't see clearly enough, not even with all the different settings I filtered through."

"We could get closer."

Minako's brow furrowed at Rei's dangerous idea. "No." The Venusian decided swiftly. "We got what we came for. The clues still point to Earth. Now let's go."

"Good work, you two. I have a lot of data to analyze and compare to our findings on Jupiter. Please return as quickly as possible. Ami out." The communicator crackled and the transmission ended.

"Don't even think about it." Minako growled warningly, her eyes trained on the Martian, so eager to throw herself into battle. "I know you want revenge, but there are entirely too many of them down there."

Rei frowned. Her hand balled into a fist, released, then clenched once more. The Venusian laid a hand on her shoulder and the Priestess was forced to look into those cerulean eyes.

"You'll get your chance, Rei, trust me. Now come on."

The Priestess nodded reluctantly, and turned, only to be met with the frightening vision of a youma standing right on top of them. She'd been unable to sense its approach – its aura had blended in with mass of the others in the crater, and there was no time to act; only to react.

Minako frowned when the Priestess' stony expression shifted into a look of shock. "Rei?"

And then the Venusian was being pushed to the icy ground, Rei's body shoving her down roughly.

And all Minako could see was claws that narrowly missed her face, but that didn't miss Rei at all. The Martian squinted and grunted as she took the blow, and used the inertia of their combined weight to roll both their bodies away.

The Venusian scrambled to her feet and pulled the Priestess up with her. She hadn't even finished transforming, the golden light hadn't even faded when Sailor Venus thrust her sword through the youma's neck and sliced upwards savagely. Its head fell to the ground and rolled at their feet.

"Run." Venus barked. "Do it now! We have to get away from the crater!" Already, more of the monsters were rushing them. "We have to lure the scouts away so they don't call for reinforcements or we'll never stand a chance!"

Both women sprinted, running as fast as they could from the gaping mouth of the crater. Rei soon lost speed. Breathing had already been difficult due to the thin atmosphere, but to sprint under such conditions, and to do so while being chased and wounded, was quickly taking its toll. Venus ran alongside her, and she knew the senshi was slowing down to keep pace with her. The Martian dug deeper, and upped her pace.

But they were soon surrounded by far too many youma.

Wild eyes of amethyst and cerulean looked to the circle that tightened around them of what was easily three dozen youma, three times what they had fought as a group of four. The women pressed their backs to each other, slouched into defensive stances and unsheathed their swords.

Of all things to do, Venus laughed. "If we make it out of this alive, I'm going to kill you."

Rei snorted. "_Now_ what did I do?"

"That stunt you pulled back there that earned you that wound."

"The wound is nothing, it's just a scrape. Look, I'm fine! I'm barely even bleeding." The Martian sliced the air before her, effortlessly twirling her sword in wide arcs to prove her point.

The golden warrior was unimpressed. "I'm warning you, Rei, don't you _ever_ sacrifice yourself for me again."

"Sacrifice?" Rei cried. "What are you talking about? You claim to be this great diplomat, but you know _nothing_ of Martian behaviors-"

The youma took that as their cue and as one, with arms raised and mouths wide open, their lumbering forms charged the two women.

But as the wall of monsters approached, the Martian dropped to her knees in a boneless heap. Her hand came to rest above her heart. Her breath all but froze in her lungs. Her vision turned red. _'What is this?'_ Her eyes focused on the golden warrior – standing, she was an easier target, and as fierce claws reached out for Venus' slender form, Rei felt the power she'd experienced on Jupiter surge to life within her.

She didn't hesitate. She embraced it fully. Rei screamed. She felt like she was on fire.

In reality, she was.

The flames of Mars enveloped Rei's body, flaring to life first in individual red-orange tongues of fire, and then, Rei was no more. A bright red light blinded the youma, blinded Venus, blinded herself. The fire of her ravished planet, long held captive within her body, surged forward, and when it had vanished, the senshi of Mars stood in Rei's place, and the many youma that had threatened her and her companion lie scattered across the ground. Some were burned, some were charred, and some were disintegrated completely.

"Rei…" Venus' voice was a whisper.

The raven haired warrior shook her head. "Mars." She whispered as correction.

"Mars." Venus' tongue sampled her new comrade's name like an exotic delicacy.

But the youma weren't defeated yet. Many rose on shaky legs. Most of them were injured, weakened, but they still had sheer numbers to their advantage.

Venus pressed her back to Mars' once more."Ready?" She asked.

"When you are." Mars replied.

With a piercing shout, the golden warrior launched herself into the fray, sword raised as she sliced with one hand, her other arm cocked behind her as she unleashed a steady stream of precisely aimed crescent beams.

Mars could have been Venus' dark reflection. She too lunged into the fray with a chilling shout, her sword swinging, while she unleashed a similar attack that was based not off of light, but of fire; a burning mandala that would seek out prey and incinerate it within its whirling vortex.

Venus kept an eye on the new senshi. Mars' power was raw, untamed, and fiercely reactive, much like the Priestess herself, but the biggest surprise was that together, the two women fought as one in a near even match of skill and power. Complementing each other's weakness and reinforcing their strengths, they seemed to come together and cover each others' backs when the enemy crushed in around them, and they spread out for maximum kill effect when the youma dispersed.

It had seemed like an impossible task, but in little time, the icy ground was littered with youma corpses.

Rei thrust her sword into the heart of a monster that twitched on the ground, bleeding, but not dead until her finishing blow killed it off. "Did we get them all?"

"There!" Venus shouted, and she pointed to a limping straggler who was desperately trying to edge its way back to camp, back to the crater, back to reinforcements.

Mars thrust her left hand before her and cocked her right hand to her shoulder. Suddenly, she found herself looking down the sight of not only a fire-arrow, but a fire-bow, the other half of the deadly attack she had sampled in her last skirmish against the youma. A flame sniper.

The fire-arrow screamed through the air and found its mark. The monster hit the ground well shy of the crater it had hoped to seek reinforcements within.

The still air was oppressively quiet as the two senshi stared at each other. The warrior of love openly examined the warrior of fire. Her crimson colored fuku was unremarkable with its similarities to the rest of the senshi's. Her powers, though exceptionally strong, were equally as unremarkable, nearly a similar attack compared to her own, albeit with a different element.

It was the woman herself, however, that was remarkable. And it was a thought that the Venusian just couldn't seem to shake, no matter how hard she tried.

Venus took a hesitant step towards Mars. Her voice turned serious, scolding. "You would so willingly become a senshi, Priestess?"

"Apparently, that decision was not mine to make. It is who I am." Mars' voice shared Rei's cold tone that harkened back to when the Venusian had first met her.

"Then you would give your life for our Princess?"

"I've been informed that it is my duty. To defend and protect…" she paused, and looked into Venus' cerulean gaze, "what is mine, comes with this price."

Minako wasn't sure how to interpret the Martian's words. She took another step closer. "And you would accept my command on the field of battle?"

"You've already proven your leadership abilities to me." The Martian's voice lost some of its previous venom. She would have never expected it, but she could see this woman as her equal and her commander, If not something more.

Venus took one step closer, so that there was no more distance between them. "And you would trust me, with your life?" It was obvious that this was no longer Venus speaking, but Minako.

"Have I not already done that?" Mars asked, her words quiet, thoughtful. "Since the first day that we met? As you did for me?"

The Venusian's tense body relaxed slightly, her shoulders slumped, but her fists did not release. "Then why didn't you _tell_ me you were the heir to your planet, Rei?"

"It wasn't relevant at the time."

And that was just like the Martian. Practical. Relevant. Both those words accurately described the Priestess, but Minako had learned the fiery Martian also had other words in her hidden vocabulary. Passion. Loyalty. A fierce sense of determination. And when these seldom seen attributes were aimed at _her_, the fact that the quirky Priestess could sometimes be distant and closed didn't seem to matter so much.

'_But… am I relevant to her now?' _It was a question that begged to be answered, but it was not the place or the time.

As was becoming quite the norm, Venus' melodic laugh shattered the stillness between them. She pointed to the Martian's senshi footwear. "It would have to be high heels, for as much as you complained about them."

The Martian frowned. In the heat of battle, the last thing she'd taken notice of was her attire, and to find herself clothed in the same skimpy outfit she'd so thoroughly poked fun at raised an embarrassed blush to her cheeks.

"I think you _like_ it." Venus said in a singsong voice.

"I do _not_!"

"Still, you should thank me for tricking you into wearing dresses and high heels in the palace. It was good practice, don't you think?"

Mars felt her hackles rise. "So it _was_ a trick!"

"Come on already," Venus walked away casually. "Let's get the hell out of here. Mako-chan won't be happy to hear we broke _both_ of her conditions."

* * *

The flames of Mars cut a path through the thin and slippery ice. The loose gravel was much preferable to spending hours falling on one's rear end, and the two women cautiously made their way back to the teleport circuit. 

"That power would have been helpful a few hours ago, you know." Venus whined.

"Oh, you know me," Mars spat. "I just _love_ to give you things to complain about."

The Venusian laid a mocking hand over her heart. "Your sarcasm wounds me so."

"I'll bet you're just disappointed that you don't have an excuse to lean on me anymore."

"You've seen _right_ through me, Rei."

The Martian looked to the Venusian. It was all too obvious that the golden warrior wasn't really joking.

Mars grabbed Venus by the wrist roughly. The barbs, the innuendo, the tension between them, not to mention the near misses and Minako's drunken inhibitions the night before… it was all too much for the Priestess to ignore any longer.

And if the Venusian was too afraid to take that step that she so obviously wanted to take, then she'd just have to take it _for_ her.

"I've had enough of this." Mars spat.

Venus' breath caught in her throat. A firm tug on her wrist had her falling into the slightly taller woman and the next thing she knew, the Martian's lips had roughly claimed her own in a savage kiss.

With a gasping breath, both women parted. Venus couldn't read Mars' cloudy eyes.

The Martian frowned. "That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Am I the selfish one, Rei?" Venus' uncertain voice was so unlike the woman. "Am I the only one that wanted that?"

Mars hadn't been equipped to deal with that imploring response, the emotion in Venus' voice, and she couldn't find a single appropriate word in _any_ language with which to express herself.

And Venus was waiting.

Those amethyst eyes softened. One arm wrapped loosely around Venus' waist and her gloved fingers found the other woman's chilled cheek.

This kiss was soft. It was tender. It was thousands of unspoken words too early to utter.

They parted again. Venus' cerulean eyes were slow to flutter open, as though she were caught in a dream-like state.

From there, it was impossible to tell who initiated what. If their first kiss had been awkward, and their second gentle and sweet, then the third was exploratory. Mars' arms tightened around Venus, and Venus clawed at Mars' back. The fourth was excited, and the fifth… the fifth was sheer passion, and both women were left panting in its wake.

But Mars wanted more, and was surprised when she was met with resistance. A gentle finger was pressed to her lips and the Priestess opened her eyes in confusion.

"Don't get me wrong. I fully intend to pick up where we left off," Venus whispered, and then smirked, "but could we _please_ get the hell off this pole?!"

"Race you." Mars whispered huskily.

"You're on." Venus growled.

The two senshi made a break for it, for the faster they could get back to the transport circuit and back to their shuttle on the other end of the transport jump, the faster they'd be back in each others arms, exploring this new dynamic to their relationship.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Finally! So, was the wait for the inevitable Rei/Mina get-together scene worth it? And no, don't worry, it's not _nearly_ over between the two of them. What did you think? Please leave a review! Please?

Oh, and the Eternity Main System is the manga name for the super computer on the Moon. And yes, Chao-Meng Fu crater really is a real location on Mercury's northern pole.

Thanks to all my reviewers, especially,

Neuro – I have a terrible memory of the anime, so I'm actually surprised to hear that sunspots were mentioned it in. Huh, and here I thought I was being original! More on that later though.  
LicketySplat – I've recently developed an appreciation for large plots. This is my first attempt at one, and with fifteen more chapters to go, there's lots more to explore!  
Bomichan – I think Minako didn't drink to get drunk in the last chapter, but that probably the two of them ordered drinks, and while Rei has a higher tolerance, Minako took it upon herself to make it a competition (I know, more a PGSM trait than anything else), and before she knew it, she'd had one or two too many.  
Hanyou – hope you liked the trip to Mercury! And perhaps you won't be damning Rei's principals any longer. .

OOO

Preview, Chapter 7: On Venus: Martyr

A barely controlled fist pounded the table.

"What do you mean she's gone back to Venus!?" Rei exclaimed at breakfast the next morning.

Makoto's hand lunged for her juice glass and her quick reflexes kept the orange liquid from spilling onto the table. "We got a dispatch from her planet late yesterday afternoon. Apparently, the youma invasion is getting worse on Venus and there was a skirmish outside the main capital."

"And you guys let her go alone?"

"Its not that we wanted to let her go by herself, Rei-san." Ami clarified.

The Priestess frowned darkly. '_That hypocrite! She can't be allowed to scold me for not accepting her help the way she did on Jupiter if she's going to do the same thing to me.'_

"You know how she gets," Serenity pointed her fork at Rei, "all we can do is support her from here. Besides, we made her promise she wouldn't fight. She was only allowed to go if she agreed to check the damage, show her support for her people, and come back."

'_Sure. We promised not to fight the youma on Mercury's pole, too.'_

Makoto nodded brightly. "Yeah, and if the youma attack the city again, she knows we're on standby if she needs our help."

Rei pounded the table again, and this time, Makoto's juice did splash out of her glass.

Serenity jumped to her feet. "Rei-chan, where are you going?"

The Martian halted at the door before glancing back over her shoulder. "To Venus!"

She slammed the door behind her with an air of finality but she'd no sooner turned down the next hall than a timid voice caught up to her.

"Rei-san, wait!"

Against her better judgment, the Priestess stopped and waited for the blue haired genius to catch up. The small woman stood well outside the Martian's boundary of personal space and bit her lower lip nervously.

"Before Mina-chan left, she consulted me about something." She said tentatively. "I… explained to her about Martian possessiveness, that when a Martian finds something they deem worth protecting, they go to great lengths to protect it."

"Why are you telling me things I already understand?"

"Because you _don't_ know about Venusians. Rei-san." Ami said with a sad frown. "It's in a Venusian's nature to either love freely, or love deeply. I… just don't know which Minako is."


	7. Chapter 7

A Single Voice  
Chapter 7: On Venus: Martyr  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

She'd never before had a reason to dislike warp engines, but after leaving Mercury, Rei found herself cursing the speed at which their shuttle flew back to the Moon.

True to her word, Minako certainly had picked up where they'd left off, and the Priestess hadn't imagined they could have spent nearly the entirety of the two hour trip necking and simply enjoying each others closeness. But then, she guessed anything was possible when it came to Minako, and it certainly wasn't like she was complaining.

It wasn't that she felt the need to be attached to Minako at the hip – after all, it wasn't even like they'd declared an actual relationship – but when Minako was whisked away from her all too soon to brief Queen Serenity once they'd hit the surface, Rei had instantly felt the loss.

…and things only went downhill from there.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, a barely controlled fist pounded the table.

"What do you mean she's gone back to Venus!?" Rei exclaimed.

Makoto's hand lunged for her juice glass and her quick reflexes kept the orange liquid from spilling onto the table. "We got a dispatch from her planet late yesterday afternoon. Apparently, the youma invasion is getting worse on Venus and there was a skirmish outside the main capital."

"And you guys let her go alone?"

"Its not that we wanted to let her go by herself, Rei-san." Ami clarified.

The Priestess frowned darkly. '_That hypocrite! She can't be allowed to scold me for not accepting her help the way she did on Jupiter if she's going to do the same thing to me.'_

"You know how she gets," Serenity pointed her fork at Rei, "all we can do is support her from here. Besides, we made her promise she wouldn't fight. She was only allowed to go if she agreed to check the damage at the capital, show her support for her people, and come right back."

'_Sure. We promised not to fight the youma on Mercury's pole, too.'_

Makoto nodded brightly. "Yeah, and if the youma attack the city again, she knows we're on standby if she needs our help."

Rei pounded the table again, and this time, Makoto's juice did splash out of her glass.

Serenity jumped to her feet. "Rei-chan, where are you going?"

The Martian halted at the door before glancing back over her shoulder. "To Venus!"

She slammed the door behind her with an air of finality but she'd no sooner turned down the next hall than a timid voice caught up to her.

"Rei-san, please wait!"

Against her better judgment, the Priestess stopped and waited for the blue haired genius to catch up. The small woman stood well outside the Martian's boundary of personal space and bit her lower lip nervously.

"Before Mina-chan left, she consulted me about something." Ami said tentatively. "I… explained to her about Martian possessiveness, that when a Martian finds something they deem worth protecting, they go to great lengths to protect it."

"Why are you telling me things I already understand?"

"Because you _don't_ know about Venusians. Rei-san." Ami said with a sad frown. "It's in a Venusian's nature to either love freely, or love deeply. I… just don't know which Minako is. Maybe she's feeling she'd led you on with her flirtatious nature, or…"

Rei seemed unmoved. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Or?"

A slight blush dusted Ami's cheeks. "Or maybe she really is a one lover kind of girl."

"She is." Rei said simply.

"How can you be so sure?" A slight smile tugged at one corner of Ami's mouth. "I thought Minako was the empathic one."

"She is. But she can't keep something that powerful from making itself known in her aura."

The Mercurian nodded. She wanted to believe in Rei's certainty. "I just… don't want either of you to get hurt. I know Minako's primary reason for going to Venus was to help her people, but I know that no matter how seriously she takes her duties, she'll also be thinking of you."

Rei smirked. "Does she know you're telling me all this?"

"No," Ami said, meeting the Martian with a mischievous grin, "and she's not going to find out, either."

The Priestess offered the smaller woman a rare, genuine smile. "You seem to know a lot about all this."

"Of course I do. After all, Martians aren't too far removed from Jovians."

The two women shared a brief laugh that was cut all too short by Rei's stiffening posture. She didn't need a heightened spiritual sense to detect the presences lingering on the other side of the corner.

"I know you're there, Princess, Makoto-san." Rei said, and then smiled gently, offsetting her gruff voice. "You can come out now."

Chuckling to herself, Serenity turned the corner, trailed by the Jovian. The Princess passed Ami's respectable distance from the Martian and clasped Rei's hands in her own.

"You should know that despite her confidence and strength, Mina-chan tends to run away from the things she really wants."

The Priestess nodded. Her suspicions had been proven correct by those closest to the Venusian. She found strength in her Princess' soft smile.

"Go get her, Rei-chan."

* * *

The golden orb of the Sun could not be seen on Venus, yet it was incredibly bright beneath the thick, dusty cloud cover that lent a bright, sandy glow to the planet's surface.

Palm fronds swayed in the gentlest of breezes. Limestone walls jutted in every direction; apartments, shops, and offices fought for space in the teeming city. A dark haired woman among the golden Venusians, the Martian had to twist and turn her body to cut through the crowds, earning inquisitive looks and admiring gazes. She scowled at the attention and wiped at her brow. The arid heat was nearly oppressive and there were entirely too many steps to climb to reach the main Venusian Palace.

She'd chosen the direct route, but then, Rei wasn't one for playing games and there was no stopping a Martian on a mission. Finding Minako was her priority, and if it meant she had to break through the doors of the throne room, then so be it.

She quickly found that she didn't have to take such drastic measures. Marching down the middle of a row of limestone columns in the open-air walkways of the Venusian's palace's first courtyard, it seemed that she had been found first.

"Priestess-san!"

The Martian turned her attention to two men. She instantly recognized their tanned, toned bodies from Minako's traveling party back on Mars. But there was no time for pleasantries.

"Where is Minako." She demanded.

There was something so protective, so possessive in those wild, amethyst eyes, that despite their size and strength, both men faltered before the dark haired woman's slender form. They had been ordered not to reveal their Princess' location, but could they dare withhold that information from the Martian standing before them?

One of the two finally broke under her unrelenting glare. "She's gone north to the pole."

Rei scowled. "You let her go alone?"

"She insisted! Surely you understand that we could not defy her orders." The other said.

"No." The Martian's voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't understand at all."

She turned then, and began to retrace her steps but quickly found the Venusian guards blocking her path.

"Princess Venus said that if you were to come to the palace after her, you were to stay here until her return."

The Priestess pushed past the two men effortlessly. "I don't care what she said."

The guards could only stand uselessly as the Martian warrior descended the steps and made her way through the throng.

'_So she knew I'd come for her after all.'_ A distant smile touched Rei's lips. _'Maybe she wanted me to find her all along.' _

* * *

The last thing she wanted was for the Martian to find her.

Her pole had been a welcome change from those of the other planets. Venus' constant cloud cover provided an isothermal climate, resulting in little temperature variation between equator and pole. No ice to slip on, no snow to trudge through, the worst she'd had to deal with was the drifting lightening storms caused by distant volcanic activity.

But best of all, although a group of the rogue monsters had attacked the outskirts of her capital directly, the youma presence on the pole of her planet was minimal compared to those of the other planets. It was a small amount of relief to Venus' troubled mind as the pole's slow but forceful winds buffeted against her on her return from her successful solo mission.

The Venusian knew the fiery Priestess would be upset that she'd left without a word. She'd shown Rei many sides of herself, but not this one; not the part of herself that refused the help of others, the part of herself that contradicted every other aspect of her.

It was the part of her that most resembled Rei and she wondered how the woman would handle it.

'_What was I to do? Drag her to my homeland to conquer that threat too? Why? This is my problem. What good would a woman with which I have an undefined relationship with do anyway?' _

Venus hung her head. She hadn't meant to be so harsh, even within the confines of her own mind. She was running away again when she should be facing her fears, but though the rational part of her recognized that fact, the irrational part of her refused to do anything about it.

'_I'm just… I'm scared of…'_

"Venus!"

Cerulean eyes that had been open finally took notice of her surroundings. Her voice was a whisper as her companion closed the distance between them at a steady jog.

"Mars…"

It was only then that Mars, that Rei herself first realized just how much attention she'd paid to the other woman; just how much each of Minako's mannerisms and her appearance had subconsciously ingrained themselves in her mind. For as she finally stood before the other woman, panting slightly from her prolonged jog, she noticed instantly the tiny details that translated Venus' emotions clearly.

The woman shifted her weight from foot to foot as though she'd flee at any moment. Her long, golden hair, usually so well cared for, was haphazardly tied back into a messy ponytail. But most of all, Venus' trademark smirk betrayed her; for it didn't reach her listless eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mars opted for blunt confrontation. After all, it hadn't failed them yet.

"It was a mission I assigned myself." Venus grasped the false sense of confidence her position of leader granted her. "I hit the pole, took detailed photos of the access point that Mercury needed, and made it out undetected."

"That was incredibly dangerous."

Venus flipped her long ponytail over her shoulder causally. "Without you slowing me down in your civilian form like you did last time, I was quite safe as Venus."

"Don't give me that crap. The two of us as _senshi_ had a hard time in that ambush on Mercury. What if you had-"

"I _ordered_ you to stay behind!" Venus violently cut off Mars' words.

"I may be your subordinate, but I will _not_ heed reckless orders when it comes to your safety." Rei crossed her arms smugly. "Someone's got to rein you in, Venus. "

The Venusian's gloved hands balled into tight fists. She frowned, and began to stammer. But Mars wasn't through with her yet – she was far from it.

"What," Mars asked, "you can dish it out, but you can't take it? Don't you think you're being hypocritical here?"

The crimson warrior began pacing around her leader, ever conscious of the dark glare the golden warrior gave her. "First, you got mad at me for not accepting your help on Jupiter. Second, you kept me from charging recklessly into battle on Mercury." Mars stopped in front of the Venusian, a stony expression on her face. "Does that sound familiar to you?"

"I _don't_ need your help." Venus spat. She sank into an offensive position. Her golden chain formed in her hand and her fingers closed around it comfortingly. "And I _don't_ need your condescending attitude."

The Martian smirked. Oh, she'd show the little Princess condescending, all right. "Don't you think it's little ironic that the fight on this pole is between you and me, and not the youma?"

"I think its quite suiting." Venus nearly growled as she affected an offensive stance.

Mars sank into a defensive position. A drifting electrical storm shot a forked spike of lightening through the dusky sky. She had to shout to be heard over the resulting thunder. "Bring it." She barked.

In a blur of crimson and gold, the two warriors jumped away from each other.

A bow of fire appeared in Mars' hands and a fire-arrow shot towards Venus. The deadly projectile was easily deflected by the golden warrior's chain. Too easily.

The golden chain regrouped quickly, and lashed out towards the Martian. She'd seen the deadly weapon take down youma in a single blow, effortlessly slice them in half, yet in a leap of faith, Mars easily caught the weapon in a gloved hand and pulled it taught. Stuck in a stalemate, the two women glared at each other.

"That could have taken your hand right off." Venus said coldly.

"It _could_ have." Mars smirked. "But it didn't."

Venus snarled at Mars' smugness, but… she didn't want to be so far away from the other woman, either. She gave a tug on her end of the chain, and unbalanced, Mars was suddenly falling towards her. Venus dropped the weapon, and with her right hand, unsheathed her sword.

Their blades met with the echoing clang of metal on metal that was muffled only by another clap of thunder. Their shoulders pressed together. Their faces were so close.

'_I could almost…'_ Her contrasting emotions fought harder than she did. Venus was tempted to steal a kiss. Instead, she pushed the Martian back so she could breathe again.

Making sure her every movement was being clearly transmuted, Mars charged, swinging her blade in a rapid succession of blows that were easily parried as the Venusian skittered backwards on flat feet. The crimson warrior allowed Venus a scant moment to collect herself, and the golden warrior took the opportunity, pressing the Martian back with an equally impressive display of fast, yet easily blocked moves.

Mars was done playing. She'd gotten all the information she'd needed. "Is this all you've got?" She barked as she planted her feet and met Venus' blade with her own.

The Venusian frowned, but swung her sword again. And again. And again. Blindly.

Mars' powers were strong indeed, but they couldn't be stronger than hers. _'No,'_ she suddenly realized. '_They aren't… Neither one of us are fighting to even half our abilities. My heart's not…'_

"Your heart's not in this!" Mars shouted.

Venus' blade came down in one, last, halfhearted effort. Her hands shook, her blade wavered as the two women pitted their strength against the other.

"It's obvious you don't want to fight me!"

Venus' blade slipped out of her grip and clattered on the slab of rock beneath their feet. Mars followed suit, throwing her sword to the ground, and she closed the remaining distance between them.

"Surrender, Venus. Accept my help. Let me be there for you the way you were there for me."

The golden warrior's bruised pride made one last attempt, and she pushed at the Martian's shoulders, trying to shove the other woman away weakly…

But Mars would have none of it. She grabbed the Venusian's trembling hands, hooked her foot behind the other woman's knee, and took the Venusian down to the ground.

The emotional turmoil had taken its toll, and when the breath returned to her lungs, the golden warrior was no longer Venus, but Minako. She opened her eyes to find Mars pinning her. The crimson warrior had straddled her hips and had captured her hands at her sides. Mars' transformation faded in a crimson glow.

Minako's sense of utter defeat didn't change when it was Rei on top of her, looking down at her with those unreadable violet eyes…

And Minako never would have thought that utter defeat would feel so… liberating.

"Why are you running away from me, Minako?" The venom in Rei's voice was gone, exchanged for gentle, imploring tones. "You weren't running away from me on our return from Mercury. What's changed?

Backed into a corner, the Venusian was out of places to run. She had to face her fears. "Because I'm afraid of how strongly I feel for you!"

Minako recoiled at the intensity of her voice that bordered on tears. Even for a Venusian, the depth of her feelings for Rei were frightening, a force inside her that had grown in leaps and bounds since the day she'd met the Martian. Rei had become her everything, and it had spiraled beyond the control of one who was so used to being in control of everything.

Rei remained unmoved. "Don't you see? This isn't about _my_ sacrifice on Mercury's pole. This is about _your_ sacrifice on this one."

"Wh.. what?"

"You're the one that's all wrapped up with denying yourself, making yourself the martyr… Minako, if we feel the same way then what are you afraid of?"

"Do you… really feel the same?" The Venusian's voice was hopeful.

"Didn't Ami go over this with you already?"

'_Wrong choice of words, fool!'_ The Priestess suddenly looked like a deer caught in a set of headlights. She chuckled impotently.

The leader of the senshi lifted an amused eyebrow. "She told you?"

"Look," Rei said sheepishly, "maybe you're going through a lot right now. Why don't we just see where this takes us?"

Minako's tentative smirk fell sharply. "Where _what_ takes us, Rei?"

Rei tensed. "This is getting us nowhere." She quickly steered the conversation out of dangerous territory. No matter how much she wanted to tell the Venusian what she wanted to hear, she felt it was too soon to go there, for both of them.

And there was only one solution to avoiding proper topics when it came to her and Minako. "You know, for all your leadership skills, you suck at proper communications."

Minako grinned. Her response was automatic. "You're one to speak, you recluse." But then, that smirk slipped and her cerulean eyes suddenly turned serious. "Rei, I…"

"Shh." Rei shook her head silenced the woman underneath her with a finger. "Later, Mina."

The other girls called her Mina-chan, but hear the abbreviation of her name, sans suffix, from the Martian's raw voice sent a delicious chill down Minako's spine. The Venusian leaned up, as much as Rei's hold would allow, and gently kissed her.

'_It's only been a day but how did I ever live without her kiss? We can talk about our feelings later, right? Right now, this just feels far too right.' _

Their lips parted reluctantly. Minako's head rested on the rocky ground once more. Finally, she smiled. "Can you kindly get off me now?"

"Huh?" Rei frowned. "Oh!"

With a slight blush dusting her cheeks, the Martian jumped off Minako and quickly helped the other woman to her feet. She assisted the Venusian in patting the dust off her traveling clothes and out of her golden hair, but before long, her motions slowed. Rei found her hand lingering on Minako's waist and finally, their eyes met again.

The hold around Minako's waist slowly tightened, and Rei pulled her in for another kiss that refused to end.

"You know," Minako said, as she claimed the corner of the Priestess' mouth, "I hate it when you're right."

"Hn?" The barely coherent question was the result of fingernails clawing at the back of Rei's neck.

"I can finally read the two of us with my senses."

"Your… love… reading?" The awkward question was asked between carefully placed kisses to Minako's neck and the golden warrior could feel the heat of Rei's cheeks on her skin.

"Un." Minako nodded and cracked a grin that banished every doubt, every worry, every fear she'd foolishly felt. She pressed two fingers under the Martian's chin, and forced her to look at her.

"Well?" Rei asked grumpily, "What does your reading say?"

"Hmm," Minako's grin turned predatory, and her fingers traced Rei's delicate jaw line, "I think I need to interpret it more."

The Venusian claimed the Martian's knowing grin with another searing kiss.

* * *

Author's Notes: A little unhappy with this chapter. I knew what I wanted to say, but just couldn't seem to pull it off. For all of Minako's outward determination, she's also been the type to doubt herself and have insecurities, and I figured she'd have them not only as a leader, but as a lover. I felt that she needed that bit of extra reassurance, and this will only strengthen what she has with Rei in the very near future.

Please review! Feedback is so very much appreciated.

Special Thanks:

Amiko-Gabriel: you might be a little disappointed at Minako's obvious monogamously orientated nature. I felt this fit her character more closely in this story. I am, however, trying my hand at a more poly-orientated view of her in the next fic I'm working on.  
Bomichan: in the last chapter, Mercury wasn't witness to everything that happened between Rei/Minako/Mars/Venus in the last chapter. She went silent for most of the trip to the pole, but signed off completely after the three of them had worked together at the pole and before Rei became Mars. So Ami and the others are still in the dark about what's going on.

OOO

Preview: Chapter 8: Lunar Diplomats

"Lets talk of our next steps."

Ever Minako's equal, Rei had no problem asserting her opinion. "We've searched the planets closest to the Earth, but what of the others?"

Ami fidgeted slightly. "The planets of the outer rim-"

"Keh!" Minako crossed her arms in a huff.

"-have their own senshi." Ami continued. "Their reports indicate that the youma invasion has reached as far as Neptune."

"Wonderful." Minako groaned.

The Martian watched the dynamics between the Venusian and the Mercurian with a confused sense of interest.

"Their leader will blame me," Minako clarified bitterly, "blame _us_, for allowing it to happen."

"Mina-chan and Haruka-san don't get along very well, you see." Serenity added helpfully.

Makoto snorted. "_That's_ putting it mildly."

"Anyway," Minako's frown deepened. "I'm sorry, Princess, but we can no longer err on the side of coincidence when it comes to the Earth's involvement in the matters at hand."

Serenity frowned. Her eyes dropped to the ground. All four of her guardians looked elsewhere lest their better judgment be clouded by their Princess' disappointment.

"All of our clues point to the blue planet." Minako said quietly. "The access points found on each planet's pole seem to be of Earth make. Rei insists that the signatures of the five individuals we saw time and again were definitely human. Ami-chan is still researching the data, but we believe that the location that the access points were pointed to in order to transport the youma from was Earth as well."

"This whole thing reeks of that damned planet." Rei spat, and then had the decency to look sheepish once scolded by Minako's reprimanding glare.

"Still, this will be a touchy political issue, and there is already word that there is a large amount of civil unrest on that planet. It's widely known that the Earthlings harbor mistrust against the Moon Kingdom."

Ami nodded. She called to life her transparent super computer and wasted no time in analyzing data. "We must also keep in mind that the youma are not a native Earth species." She examined Rei and Makoto's blank expressions. "That means the youma have technically invaded _their_ planet as well, and though it must mean that someone is controlling them to their own ends, we don't know who that is, and we can't condemn the entire race of humans."

Serenity rose on shaky legs. "We must meet with their Prince. We must initiate diplomatic relations with the Earthlings."


	8. Chapter 8

A Single Voice  
Chapter 8: Lunar Diplomats  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Not all blondes are created equal, and Rei _really_ didn't know what to do with the one in her arms, for the one on her mind, she knew, was casting a rather dangerous glare in her general direction.

The leader of the senshi was perched on the balcony of Serenity's private courtyard, her back to a pillar, her feet dangling over the balcony's edge. She aimed for casual indifference as she examined how Rei interacted with the others in general and with their Princess specifically. She could have been a leader observing her troops. Conversely, if Martians were known for their possessiveness, Venusians were known for jealousy, and she could have been a jealous woman keeping an eye on what she deemed was hers.

Even she didn't know which of the two was truer.

The Princess of the Moon Kingdom snuggled deeper into Rei's arms. "Did you know," she asked as she looked at the others, "that Rei-chan is Sailor Mars?"

Makoto nearly spat out the drink she'd been sipping. "What? When did this happen?"

"Five Lunar days ago." Serenity said smugly. "We couldn't announce it earlier because afterwards, Rei-chan ran off to bring Minako back from Venus."

Rei and Minako blushed and turned their heads in opposite directions.

"Five days ago!?" Makoto looked to an unfazed Ami. "This doesn't surprise you?"

"Well," the blunette began nervously, "I knew Rei-san wasn't normal-"

A snicker from a distance caused Rei to bristle and she shot her eyes to Minako. "Nothing out of you." She barked as she tried to peel the exuberant Princess from her body. "Stop taking things out of context!"

"-because of the sensing powers she displayed on Jupiter." Ami was quick to continue. "That kind of tipped it off for me."

"Well, you could have told me." Makoto said with a slight pout.

"Ooh, lover's spat." The voice in the back said.

The tall brunette shot a glance to her leader. "Nothing out of you!"

Minako sighed and crossed her legs. "Must be one of those days."

A small, genuine smile touched the Venusian's lips as she examined her team. Never before had her group felt so… complete, a completeness that had only come to fruition when Rei had stumbled into her life… into _their_ lives. Minako noted the gentle softening of the Priestess' fierce, amethyst eyes, a response she knew was similar to, but not nearly as drastic as the one she'd received from the crimson warrior on several occasions, and she wanted to believe that the Martian felt the same way for her new comrades too.

Minako rose from her perch and approached her soldiers and her Princess. Ami and Makoto's mock squabbling came to a cease-fire. The Princess detached herself from Rei and retreated to a spot on the grass. The Venusian inserted herself into the middle of the courtyard, not as their friend, but as their commander.

"Lets talk of our next steps regarding the youma."

Ever Minako's equal, Rei had no problem asserting her opinion. "We've searched the planets closest to the Earth, but what of the others?"

Ami fidgeted slightly. "The planets of the outer rim-"

"Keh!" Minako crossed her arms in a huff.

"-have their own senshi." Ami continued. "Their reports indicate that the youma invasion has reached as far as Neptune."

"Wonderful." Minako groaned.

The Martian watched the dynamics between the Venusian and the Mercurian with a confused sense of interest.

"Their leader will blame me," Minako clarified bitterly, "blame _us_, for allowing a problem that began in the inner reaches of the solar system, to expand to the outer reaches."

"Mina-chan and Haruka-san don't get along very well, you see." Serenity added helpfully.

Makoto snorted. "_That's_ putting it mildly."

Minako's frown deepened. "Anyway, I'm sorry, Princess, but we can no longer err on the side of coincidence when it comes to the Earth's involvement in the matters at hand."

Serenity frowned. Her eyes dropped to the ground. All four of her guardians looked elsewhere lest their better judgment be clouded by their Princess' disappointment.

"All of our clues point to the blue planet." Minako said quietly. "The access points found on each planet's pole seem to be of Earth make. Rei insists that the signatures of the five individuals we saw time and again were definitely human. Ami-chan is still researching the data, but we believe that the location that the access points were pointed to in order to transport the youma from was Earth as well."

"This whole thing reeks of that damned planet." Rei spat, and then had the decency to look sheepish once scolded by Minako's reprimanding glare.

"Still," the leader of the senshi said cautiously, "this will be a touchy political issue, and there is already word that there is a large amount of civil unrest on Earth. It's widely known that the Earthlings harbor mistrust against the Moon Kingdom."

Ami nodded. She called to life her transparent super computer and wasted no time in analyzing data. "We must also keep in mind that the youma are not a native Earth species." She examined Rei and Makoto's blank expressions and chose to clarify. "That means the youma have technically invaded _their_ planet as well, and though it must mean that someone is controlling them to their own ends, we don't know who that person is, and even if it _is_ an Earthling, we can't condemn the entire race of humans for it."

Serenity rose on shaky legs. "We must meet with their Prince. We must initiate diplomatic relations with the Earthlings."

Minako eyed Serenity warily. "But Princess-"

"Endymion will talk to us like he did before, and both our peoples will benefit from opening communications again." There was a childish longing in those big, blue eyes, but there was also wisdom there, waiting for its chance for Serenity to lead her people. "We can't just leave them in the dark and make their decisions for them."

Minako hung her head. "You're right, Princess. And under the conditions of our previous treaty, we can't even step foot onto their planet without their advance knowledge."

"It would only serve to create more unrest if we did." Ami agreed.

Of one mind, Rei cracked her knuckles and Makoto paced. This plan went against their fighting instincts and their displeasure was clear. Left up to them, they would storm the planet and get their answers first hand.

"Mercury," Minako's authoritative voice shook everyone in the courtyard, "continue your research. I want an update at thirteen hundred hours."

She turned to her two rogue warriors, "Mars, as a senshi, you are to join in guard patrols. Jupiter will show you the ropes."

Assignments given, Minako turned, expecting her senshi to disperse, but a voice caught her off guard. She turned and frowned. The Martian lingered boldly.

"And you?" Rei asked. "No solo more missions, I trust?"

Minako turned to meet Rei's amethyst gaze. The smile that touched her lips was soft. "No solo missions. I will take personal guard duty of the Princess, and she and I will make plans to contact the Earthling Prince and his entourage."

"You are dismissed." The Venusian smiled at her subordinate mischievously. "For now."

* * *

Fourteen hundred hours wasn't the most exciting time on the grounds of the Moon Palace.

She'd been told it was a kind of siesta, a time when the population at large rested in their shops and homes for several hours before gearing up for evening activities.

It didn't make much sense to the Martian, but then, not much about this strange, new place did, and she continued her patrol of the western edge of the Moon Palace regardless.

Mars walked forward confidently, amethyst eyes scanning in all directions, ever on the lookout. She turned a corner and that confident strut stumbled slightly upon finding herself at a dead end. Jupiter may have taught her the beat pretty well, but she figured her own sense of direction could use some improvement.

Just as she was about to return to the main thoroughfare, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled back into a supple, welcoming body.

Mars tensed. She felt the flame of her powers ready themselves at her disposal. But at the last second, she fought that fight or flight instinct, and relaxed into the arms she knew belonged to Venus.

"Didn't sense my approach?" Venus purred coyly as she laid a hot kiss to the back of Mars' neck.

"Can't always detect… the one who's already… flooded your senses." The Martian's words were halting as she succumbed to the Venusian's ministrations.

"Hnn. I _like_ that answer."

Mars tipped her head back onto Venus' shoulder as the golden warrior's hands splayed themselves across the hollow of her stomach. Wet lips traveled to the side of her neck, and up to her ear.

The Martian fought for her sense of awareness in the tumult of unexpected desire she felt. "What of the meeting with the Earthlings?"

"Three Lunar days from now, they'll arrive." The response was rushed, and as her lips were preoccupied with speaking, Venus allowed her hands to make up the difference, one traveling north, caressing the area beneath the Martian's breasts, and the other traveling south to the crimson warrior's hip.

"Venus…" Mars growled with wavering resolve, "I'm supposed to be on patrol. You're _not_ being a very good commander."

"Oh? I think I'm being a _great_ commander." Gloved fingers trailed along Mars' thigh for emphasis.

"Venus…" Mars' breath hitched in her throat, somewhere between a plea and a complaint.

"Hmm? But I've already patrolled this section _for_ you, Rei."

The Martian's body finally relaxed. "You're incorrigible, _Mina_." She half-scolded.

And then she turned the tables, spinning in the Venusian's hold and swiftly pressing the golden warrior's back against a stone wall before she slid a knee between the other woman's welcoming thighs.

"You're one to talk." Venus purred right before Mars claimed her lips roughly.

* * *

The four senshi, finally together for the first time, stood guard around their Princess in the marble lined reception hall.

Mercury and Jupiter – wisdom and courage, flanked Serenity's right side, and Venus and Mars – love and passion, flanked her left. But the Princess herself was the one who rose to her full height. In a flowing, white gown, she was every bit the kind and fabled Princess she was portrayed to be by the peoples of her kingdom.

"Shouldn't this be a job for the Lunar diplomats?" Mars growled low enough for Venus' ears only.

The golden warrior smirked. "We _are_ the Lunar diplomats."

"_Wonderful_." The Martian spat.

Venus snorted and smoothed out her skirt. "Do I look presentable?"

"You embody the attributes you wish to project, if that's what you mean." Mars said. What went unsaid, but which was implicitly understood, was that Mars could see through Venus' mask to her mistrust of the humans. They were emotions that mirrored her own darkly.

Serenity shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The leader of the senshi elbowed her discreetly. "Stand tall, Princess. I'm sure Endymion's missed you as much as you've missed him."

Mars frowned. "You shouldn't encourage her. You don't know his intentions."

Venus only smirked. "Zip it, Rei. Here they come."

Led by a tall and handsome man adorned in a flowing cloak and upper body armor, the sounds of booted heels and the rough Earthian language snapped the senshi to attention, and they waited for the Prince and his entourage to approach.

"Ah, the Prince and his four lackeys, the shittenou are pretty faces with easily forgotten names."

Mars knew that Venus' quietly whispered words were for her sake. There had been little time for the new senshi to involve herself with learning who she was about to meet, but her leader's manner of explanation bothered her. She glared at the men the Venusian had called beautiful.

A gentle hand touched the Martian's elbow. "Oh come now, possessive one. I didn't mean it like that."

Mars broke her dark glare to gaze at her leader. She met that smirk with one of her own. "Zip it, Minako."

The group of six humans came to a halt a respectable distance away from the Princess of the Moon. Venus bridged that gap as both leader and diplomat, and began the introductions required by etiquette.

"Her Majesty, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom," she began, and Serenity bowed her head slightly. "Sailors Mercury and Jupiter," Mercury bowed respectfully and Jupiter nodded, her arms crossed over her chest. "Sailor Mars," Rei only frowned, "and Sailor Venus." Minako tipped her head in introduction to the Earth Prince. "It is good to see you all again, and the Moon Kingdom welcomes and honors your arrival."

A rogue human, a tall woman with shockingly red hair, and the only female of the entourage, stepped before her Prince and his four guardians.

"His majesty, Prince Endymion, ruler of Earth." Endymion's eyes firmly locked on Princess Serenity's and he bowed deeply. "Kunzite, leader of Earth's Mid-Eastern Lands," a tall man with long, white hair merely smirked, "Zoisite, of the European Lands," a slender man with a long pony tail nearly curtsied, "Nephrite, of North America," a man of stocky build with dark hair only frowned, "and Jadeite, of the Far-Eastern Lands," the wispy frame of a blonde haired boy bowed slightly.

Venus narrowed her cerulean eyes, "And you, ma'am, who might you be?"

"Beryl." The woman nearly sneered. "Prince Endymion's advisor and tactician. And what is your rank, little girl?"

The golden warrior rose above the taunt and refused to take the bait. "I am Venus, leader of Princess Serenity's senshi."

Meeting the tactician's beady gaze, the Venusian was unfaltering and neither woman was willing to bend. Finally, Beryl smiled. The gesture didn't reach her eyes.

"Nice skirt, Venus."

The golden warrior showed no outward offence at the poorly disguised insult. Instead, she motioned for their guests to follow her down the hallway. Over her shoulder, she addressed Beryl in particular,

"Take your place, _tactician_."

* * *

Despite the large number of people gathered around the meeting table, there was only one person in Serenity's world, and when she spoke, her words were meant only for Endymion.

"It's been far too long since we last met. I think it's long past due that we repair the failing relations between our peoples. I fear that by maintaining segregation, we have only created mistrust."

Endymion leaned his frame across the table. "Much agreed, Princess. Earthlings, I fear, do not understand the Moon Kingdom's good intent, and despite our continued attempts to keep the peace, my people have much to worry about these days. Between the ecological disasters we have been experiencing-"

The Princess frowned. "What kind of ecological disasters?"

The Prince's brow furrowed, and he turned to Beryl. "Was that not in the report we sent before our arrival?"

"Perhaps it accidentally got left out." The red haired woman shrugged casually.

Endymion returned his attention to Serenity. "Of late, the Earth has been experiencing minor tectonic activity, a decrease in rain, increasing temperatures, and severe electrical storms that have caused widespread failures of our technologies."

"Prince Endymion," Mercury spoke tentatively. She glanced to her Princess and leader who nodded for her to continue, and despite the hard glare she felt from the Earthling female, she continued. " Most of those problems you described may be related to an increase in sunspot activity I've been tracking lately."

"Sunspots?" The Prince asked. He was too preoccupied to notice the shittenou shifting uneasily in their seats.

"If you like, I can run some models based off my data. I'm sure it would prove most beneficial."

Endymion bowed slightly to the Mercurian. "We would be most thankful for-"

"Our scientists are already hard at work on this issue." Beryl barked. "Your assistance-" The Prince's scolding glare seemed to silence the woman, and the tactician backpedaled. "-may be of _some_ use, I suppose."

Venus nodded sagely, though her eyes were trained on Beryl. "You may be onto something, Mercury. Hopefully any joint effort made by the Moon and Earth to work together will be viewed as an advantageous effort to all of our peoples."

"I hope it will be so," Endymion sighed, "but between these disasters and the discovery of those hideous monsters that have been found at our pole, I'm afraid the Earthlings seek to make the Moon Kingdom their scapegoat. It may not be a logical conclusion, but my people are frightened. You must understand."

Serenity's cobalt eyes softened. Her hands reached across the table to close around his warmly. "I do understand, Endymion."

Beryl pushed herself away from the table's edge. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her legs. "What information can you share with us about these monsters you call _youma_?"

The very name seemed to make the Princess of the Moon cringe. Endymion sat straight and pulled away from Serenity. Beryl smiled.

Venus rested her elbows on the table's edge and leaned forward. Her measured words had been carefully rehearsed. "We know that they have infiltrated the planets of our solar system as far as Neptune."

"And what? They simply mill around the pole of these planets like they do on ours?"

Mars' fist connected with the table loudly. "They attack and kill each planets' inhabitants mercilessly!"

Venus' reprimanding glare silenced her subordinate, but she laid a steadying hand on Mars' thigh under the privacy of the table's edge.

"We also know that before they slaughter their victims, they suck the life-energy from their bodies."

"Life-energy?" One of Beryl's finely shaped eyebrows arched.

"Yes." Venus chose to ignore the sarcasm.

"And what do they do with that _life-energy_?"

"We… don't know… but we do know that they are not intelligent creatures, yet they have the means by which to teleport between planets via access points of unknown origin."

"Then you are implying that these creatures are being controlled by a third party." It was a statement, not a question. Beryl's cold eyes dared Venus to make a presumption.

"I am _implying_ that the youma could not make such moves on their own."

Endymion clenched a fist. "None of this explains why they are on Earth, though. And if they're attacking the populations of the other planets, why has ours escaped their carnage?"

Kunzite, seated immediately to his Prince's right, growled. "Would you prefer that to be the case, my Prince?"

"No! No. Of course not." Endymion sighed. "There are too many questions, and we are torn in so many different directions."

"Then let us help you." Venus stood, her fingers splayed on the tabletop, her long, golden hair falling over a shoulder. "We can work on this together. Allow the senshi access to your planet, and we'll scout it out ourselves-"

"Absolutely not," Beryl's fist hit the table, "that would violate our treaty. Considering their current distrust of the Moon Kingdom, our people wouldn't take too kindly to that, would they, Prince?"

Endymion's hopeful smile faltered. "Ah, no. But… perhaps we could-"

"Perhaps we should take a break." The human tactician stood, and leveled her gaze on Venus.

The leader of the senshi narrowed her cerulean eyes. "Thirty minutes should be sufficient."

The figures around the table stood, chairs squeaked against the marble floor, conversations in several languages and dialects filled the room. Beryl leaned across the table, closer to Venus.

"Trust me, that'll be _more_ than sufficient. I don't want to be here any longer than you _want_ me here, little girl."

* * *

"What a _bitch_." Minako growled, pacing around the courtyard's center.

"Venus Minako, I _heard_ that language." Serenity scolded from the opposite side of her courtyard where she lounged next to Ami and Makoto, blissfully stuffing her mouth with cookies as though she weren't in the middle of such stressful negotiations.

"Damn it." The Venusian grumbled, albeit much, much quieter. She needed a distraction. She glanced at Rei. A seductive smile tugged at her lips. No. That would have to wait for later. For now, she'd have to resort to her _other_ favorite pastime that involved that woman.

She headed towards the brooding warrior. With her back facing Minako, her legs were swung over the balcony's edge and her chin rested in her palm as she gazed towards the garden below. The Martian seemed unapproachable.

"Rei? Are you in there?" Minako asked quietly.

Those amethyst eyes blinked and the Martian looked over her shoulder. She smiled slightly when Minako slung an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't think too hard, you might break something."

Rei let the barb roll off her. She wouldn't fall victim to the Venusian's avoidance – she wanted to talk about this as much as Minako did. There was just something about that human tactician, something that rubbed Rei the wrong way, as though she'd seen her somewhere before. Usually, her senses would have given her a clearer reason for her uneasiness, but she'd been through so much over the past several weeks that all her experiences blended together to create a cloudy haze out of her senses.

"It's Beryl." The Martian finally said haltingly. "I don't trust her any farther than I can throw her."

Minako snorted. "I don't know, I bet you've got a pretty mean throw, I mean, what with you being a barbarian and all."

Rei groaned and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Three weeks ago called. They want their joke back."

"Burn." Minako chuckled.

"Really, Beryl is the one running the show."

"I could tell." Minako said offhandedly. Their skill at shifting from serious conversation to witty banter and back again was becoming impeccable. "She was speaking for the entire planet, completely railroading Endymion."

"It was more than that. I think it's less so with the Prince for some reason, but the shittenou seem to hang on her every word."

"I picked up on that too, which is strange because when we first met them three years ago, the shittenou were blindly devoted to Endymion."

"And what of Beryl back then?"

Minako shrugged uneasily. "She wasn't with them. We hadn't even heard of her."

"Doesn't that seem a bit odd?"

"A bit. But you know what's worse? She's in love with Endymion, too."

Rei turned to catch Minako's gaze. "Eh!?"

"Oh yeah. She's got it bad. The emotion is so strong it borders on desperation. It hurts just to be _near_ her."

"And Endymion? What of his feelings?"

The Venusian rolled her eyes. "Please. Even _you_ must have noticed. He couldn't keep his eyes off Serenity."

Rei sighed. "And she couldn't keep her eyes off him, either."

"This is going to get ugly."

"Not as ugly as you." Rei said with a satisfied chuckle.

Minako sucked her teeth. "Low blow!"

Rei smiled appreciatively. "I prefer to call it payback."

* * *

Venus drew herself to her full height. "Your decision?"

Endymion fidgeted in his seat. He did not meet the leader of the senshi's eyes. "We would permit Princess Serenity to travel to Earth. There, we could conduct more talks on our territory to raise morale amongst our peoples. It would be the first step to repairing our interplanetary relationship before any further steps are taken."

Venus snorted. "That's unacceptable. We cannot delay research of the youma that are on your planet. Let us all come. Between the senshi and the shittenou, if we work together and combine our resources, we should be able to infiltrate the pole and assess the youma threat more effectively, all _while_ repairing the relationship between our kingdoms. We could accomplish two feats at once."

The Venusian's glare hardened. "Besides, I will _not_ permit my Princess to travel to your planet unattended."

The Prince of the Earth steepled his fingers together. Uncertain eyes met Beryl's and the tactician stood.

"In that case, she may bring one of you as her aide. I fear that the presence of all the senshi will raise too many questions amongst our people. We can't risk further mistrust. And that is our final decision."

"And what of the youma?" Venus barked.

"We will send our own _researchers_ to the pole. The shittenou have graciously agreed to meet this threat head on." Beryl replied with a cool smirk, and then met the leader of the senshi with a coy smile. "Is this acceptable?"

Venus' gloved hand balled into a fist.

With a sad look towards the Prince who was avoiding her imploring gaze, it was Serenity who answered.

"It will have to be so."

* * *

She heard the knock and ceased her restless pacing. The Earthlings should have left by now, but blue eyes widened hopefully. "Yes?" Serenity called.

Mercury cracked open the door to the Princess' courtyard, uncertainty evident in her cobalt eyes. "Princess… Prince Endymion requests an audience."

Underneath her white gown, Serenity's feet hastened double time to the door. She knew her guardian was taking a great chance. "Ami-chan, please let him in."

The Mercurian worried her bottom lip. Serenity's hands clasped in front of her eager form. With a slight sigh, the senshi of wisdom stepped aside and opened the door for the human visitor. Endymion hastened forward into the opening.

"You have five minutes." Mercury said sternly before shutting the door.

The Princess of the Moon launched herself into Endymion's waiting arms. The Prince of the Earth held the woman close.

"I'm sorry we can't see each other as much as we'd like, Princess."

"But I'll see you in just a week, right?" Serenity's voice was a whispered exhale.

Much to Serenity's displeasure, Endymion stepped back, but in his absence, he pressed a small, plastic device into the woman's palm. Her blue eyes widened.

"This will make our separation more bearable. All the men in my army use these to keep in touch with their girlfriends back home."

"Then does that mean…"

Smiling handsomely, Endymion captured Serenity's trembling lips with his own, but only briefly. He parted quickly. "I'm sorry, my love, but it'll raise suspicion if I'm not aboard the transport shuttle soon."

The Princess reluctantly released her Prince. Blinking back tears, she nodded bravely. "I'll see you soon, Endymion. In a matter of days."

The Prince saluted his Princess sharply. His cape swished about as he turned and headed for the door.

"Endymion, wait!" Serenity's voice bordered on desperation.

Dark eyes looked back over his shoulder to see the Princess running towards him. He opened his arms just in time to catch her. Her lips tasted like tears.

"I wish you hadn't done that." He sighed quietly.

"Endymion?"

"You break my resolve."

Tears spilled from shut eyes as Endymion kissed Serenity deeply.

* * *

The Sea of Serenity sparkled with a golden glow. It made Rei think of the woman she knew approached, even if she couldn't see her.

Minako neared the Priestess' favorite spot and came to a halt on the other side of the giant tree's trunk, resting her back against it and gazing back towards the Palace.

"One week." She said darkly.

"Until the Princess is to head to Earth?"

"Yes."

There was too much going on all at once, and Minako felt no small amount of irritation that it kept getting in the way of other things she wanted to pursue. Her thoughts ranged from such conflicting topics as the youma invasion, to the threat of the Earth, to the woman she'd become so desperately addicted to.

Given the time and place, her Venusian nature won this struggle. She turned her body around the tree and for a second, was nearly blinded by the brightness of the sun glinting off the sea that the Martian seemed so entranced by. She nudged Rei with a toe. Amethyst eyes slowly turned to her.

"Catch me." She said sharply. It was almost an order.

"What?"

But before the Martian's face could even register a look of confusion, the Venusian was off and running in a giggling sprint.

Rei grinned and spun her weight on a hand. She launched herself to her feet and gave chase, following the golden streak of hair as Minako dashed through small crowds of Lunarians and bolted right down the back entrance of the palace proper.

She chased the woman through the small town that surrounded the palace of the Moon, realizing that she was being lured into the plain that lay outside the city's reach. Golden, waist height grasses swayed in a gentle breeze, and small, scraggly little-leafed trees dotted the flat plains.

Finally, either Minako was tiring under the exertion, or the woman simply wanted to be caught. Rei knew it to be the latter when her arms wrapped around the Venusian's waist and the two women tumbled to the ground in raucous laughter, flattening the tall grasses beneath their bodies.

The run had been a long one, and they lay on their backs in a bed of long, golden grass. Finally catching their labored breaths, they laced their fingers together loosely as they gazed at the myriad stars seen through the Moon's thin atmosphere, despite the light of the Sun.

Thin sheens of sweat finally dried and the chill brought on by a gentle breeze caused Minako to shiver. The Priestess turned and unclasped her cloak, and with her free hand, she threw the makeshift blanket over both their bodies.

It was better than any bed, for both the barbarian and the Princess.

There was no 'night' on the near side of the moon; as their celestial body was locked in synchronous orbit with the Earth, they always received the combined light of the Sun and Earth. Still, their internal clocks told them that it was well past midnight. Minako yawned and rolled to her side, wrapping an arm and a leg around Rei, the second time she'd found herself in such a position.

Finally, the heavy blue orb of the Earth caught their attention and the two women stared at it in helpless wonder.

"It looks like it could crush us."

The Venusian's desolate whisper made the Martian's heart ache, but she was every bit the realist and could not sugar coat the situation.

"They may be our enemies in due time." She admitted.

The silence became too heavy to bear.

"What are we getting ourselves into, Rei?"

The Martian met the Venusian's gaze. She knew she wasn't talking about the Earth anymore.

Rei's arm reluctantly left Minako's waist. Her hand made up for the loss by cupping the golden warrior's cheek and drawing the Venusian into a gentle kiss. Slowly, she knew she'd achieved her goal when she felt the frown on the other woman's lips become a tentative smile.

Finally, Minako relaxed into Rei's embrace and even if only for a short time, allowed all her fears and worries to be erased.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Gasp – political intrigue? Definitely not my forte, but the dialogue in this chapter was a lot of fun to write. Beryl's quite the antagonist, and she and Minako are like fire and ice.

Please leave a review!

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, especially:

Neuro: Yes. Thanks to wikipediia and an undying interest in the Science Channel, the lightening on Venus was purely intentional. I've always avoided having characters proclaim their undying love for each other too early in fics. I'm glad you appreciate that too. :3 Now go watch PGSM!  
TweekinTinkaToy: Haruka and Michiru make their debut in the next chapter. Stay tuned! Snarky barbs between Minako and Haruka are on its way.  
sammeex: Er, while the OMGANGST factor is nice and low in ASV, how do you ever read my Through Their Eyes previews on Live Journal? The angst between Rei and Minako in TTE will get painful soon. :3  
FeatherFoot : Thank you for your kind note. I even put more previews for ASV on my LJ site in your honor.  
ThirdEarth: ASV drills down into the WHY of the reasons behind the youma and our antagonists. I hope you like the angle I've chosen.  
Bomichan: It was said before that Ami and Makoto are more of a side dish in ASV. They're kinda already together, but there's some nice, fluffy scenes for them. The PGSM Sil Mil I'm working on (Through Their Eyes) will explore the painful process of actually bringing them together.  
CrimsonPhoenix: Thanks! You'll learn _a lot_ about Beryl, so stay tuned!  
Hanyou: I'm glad you liked the Rei/Ami scene as well. I find a lot of similarities between them, and as you stated, the similarities are seen more so in the PGSM world, and yes, that scene was inspired by it. I will be exploring that dynamic more thoroughly in Through Their Eyes.

OOO

Preview: Chapter 9: Like You and Me

Preparing for landing, a long range shuttle flew low over the Lunar plain.

Its two occupants gazed down at a makeshift sparring arena where two figures – a golden warrior and a crimson warrior – circled each other. Their closely choreographed movements could have been preemptive of a sparring session or a dance. At their altitude, it was hard to determine.

"Ara, Minako and the new one too?" A petite, aqua haired woman asked.

A tall woman with short, sandy hair snorted. "Just like Ami and Makoto."

"Just like you and me you mean?"

"Do you think its coincidence, Michiru?"

The aqua haired woman smiled. "No more so than you and I."

The white noise of the shuttle almost drowned the tall woman's quietly spoken words. "These girls don't need men or families to compete with their duty to the Princess."

"Saa."

"And no one is better suited to understanding the hardships of being a senshi than _another_ senshi."

"You're being incredibly deep today." Michiru said.

"Am I?" The other woman rested her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Seeing Serenity must bring it out of me."

"Maa." The more introspective of the two wasn't the only one apt to retreating into her own world at times. She'd have to remind her partner of this fact when she was in a more receptive mood. The slightest touch of her hand on the other woman's knee snapped the blonde back to her attention.

"Haruka?"

"Hn?"

"Take it easy on them. Especially the little Venusian."

"I'll try." A coy smirk tugged at Haruka's lips. "But they need to be toughened up. Her especially."


	9. Chapter 9

A Single Voice  
Chapter 9: Like You and Me  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

As it circled above and prepared for landing, a long range shuttle flew low over the Lunar plain.

Its two occupants gazed down at a makeshift sparring arena where two figures – a golden warrior and a crimson warrior – circled each other. Their closely choreographed movements could have been preemptive of a sparring session or a dance. At their altitude, it was hard to determine.

"Ara, Minako and the new one, too?" A petite, aqua haired woman asked.

A tall woman with short, sandy hair snorted. "Just like Ami and Makoto."

"Just like you and me you mean?"

"Do you think its coincidence, Michiru?"

The aqua haired woman smiled. "No more so than you and I."

The white noise of the shuttle almost drowned the tall woman's quietly spoken words. "These girls don't need men or families to compete with their duty to the Princess."

"Saa."

"And no one is better suited to understanding the hardships of being a senshi than another senshi."

"You're being incredibly deep today."

"Am I?" She rested her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "Seeing Serenity must bring it out in me."

"Maa." The more introspective of the two wasn't the only one apt to retreating into her own world at times. She'd have to remind her partner of this fact when she was in a more receptive mood. The slightest touch of her hand on the other woman's knee snapped the blonde back to her attention.

"Haruka?"

"Hn?"

"Take it easy on them. Especially the little Venusian."

"I'll try." A coy smirk tugged at Haruka's lips. "But they need to be toughened up. Her especially."

* * *

The grassy plain where they had laid in each other's arms some days ago soon doubled as a sparring area. Venus had desperately needed to blow off some steam, and so the Venusian and the Martian found themselves circling each other slowly. 

"Why do these 'outers' bother you so much?" Mars demanded. "You've been on edge since news of their arrival."

Venus attacked, raising her blade and whirling her body sideways in an act more for form than function. Their blades met and the golden warrior launched an offensive; a series of quick, short thrusts that Mars had to parry in double time until she managed to catch Venus' blade with the hilt of her weapon, their strengths matched as they pushed against each other evenly.

Cerulean eyes hardened. "We don't _need_ them. We could have dealt with this threat on our own. What have we been training for, if not for this?"

"But I thought the youma invasion extended into their outer territories as well. Doesn't it make sense to combine forces with more warriors?"

Venus' strength faltered in the slightest. Mars seized the opportunity and pressed the advantage, pushing the Venusian away from her and releasing a subdued burning mandala which the golden warrior dodged with a backwards roll before launching herself back to her feet.

"Life doesn't always work that way. Egos get in the way." A sphere of light illuminated Venus' hands.

"Yours?" Mars asked with a raised eyebrow.

The golden warrior frowned and the crimson warrior dodged her crescent beam. Venus called another into existence. "You're just as bad as _she_ is." She scolded.

"Then this Haruka person shouldn't be so hard for to deal with, now should she?" Mars smirked.

The Venusian's offensive stance slipped. An epiphany. She smirked. Her crescent beam winked out of existence. But she wouldn't let Mars known she'd won that point.

She charged the Martian, her sword raised, instead. Their blades clashed and Mars pressed the offensive, driving Venus back.

"It's my bet that Queen Serenity called the outers here to aid in whatever hair brained, reckless scheme _you've_ come up with regarding Serenity's visit to Earth."

"Well now, aren't you just the regular detective?"

"You didn't name me your second in command for nothing."

Venus snorted and attempted a leg sweep, which Mars hopped over easily. The second in command position that had been open all along had been filled. And she'd had just about enough of her second in command's insubordination. A slow, mischievous smile tugged at her lips. Her love me chain materialized in her gloved hands with a golden glow.

Mars' eyes narrowed expectantly.

The chain shot through the air.

Mars jumped back, but not far enough.

The weapon she'd seen effortlessly decapitate so many youma gently wrapped around her waist in a feather-light grip. The crimson warrior didn't falter. Her hands wrapped around the restraint. The senshi of love and the senshi of passion stared at each other.

With a mighty pull, Mars used her leader's weapon to her advantage and the Venusian stumbled forward. Mars caught her and wrestled Venus to the ground, pinning her in a move she'd executed more than once against her.

"Sometimes I wonder who's the stronger of the two of us." Venus said distractedly as she ran her fingers through the other woman's raven hair.

"Sometimes I wonder why you let me win."

"Maa," Venus said with a smile, "I wonder."

* * *

Haruka stood an entire foot taller than Minako. 

Only she could pull off such a feat as to maintain a powerful sense of manliness and confidence while still remaining utterly feminine. It was that awe inspiring respect she seemed to demand that simultaneously drew the inner senshi to her and yet pushed them away.

"We answer Queen Serenity's call." She barked. "We will fight alongside your warriors, but we resent the fact that you could not contain the threat within your territory of the inner solar system."

Though the circumstances were far beyond her control, Minako hung her head, for she had no recourse to the allegations. In a sense, she _had_ failed in her duty.

She felt Rei's glare, that gaze that nearly burned a hole through her. She chanced a glance at angry amethyst eyes that seemed to say, _'You wouldn't take this crap from _me_, so suck it up!'_

The leader of the inner senshi straightened and drew a deep breath. She had to be the stronger woman, but ignoring Haruka's bait, she knew, would prove difficult.

"We have less than a week to devise a plan to deal with the Earth. I suggest that we work together on a strategy to address the enemy that threatens all our planets."

This seemed to deflate the proud Uranian somewhat. She looked to her graceful companion who nodded her head slightly. Following Michiru's lead, Haruka conceded. Following Minako, she took a seat at a long table with the rest of the inner senshi.

Michiru steepled her fingers and crossed her legs beneath the table. "What exactly are we dealing with? We've read the report on your rather… unfortunate meeting with Earth's leaders, but are still at a loss. Who, or what, is controlling the youma?"

Rei's lips seemed to move of her own accord. It was a conclusion that hit her as Michiru spoke, and her revelation felt so right that it caught her off guard. "The human unrest is the driving force behind the youma."

Michiru leaned forward with no small amount of interest. "You're implying that the physical manifestation of a peoples' fear and mistrust is being fed on by an entity with a power capable of controlling the youma."

The senshi known for her sensing abilities and the senshi known for her intuition leveled understanding stares at each other that spoke volumes.

Finally Haruka snorted. She pushed her frame into the back of her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "What kind of ridiculous concept is that?"

"A very valid one." Michiru said demurely.

The senshi of wind ignored her partner, too wrapped up in her power struggle. She turned to the Venusian. "What kind of crap have you been feeding the newbie over here, Venus?"

"I wouldn't expect someone like _you_ to understand it." Minako said offhandedly. She hadn't yet heard Rei's hypothesis, but her past experience assured her that the extra sensory Priestess had sharp aim in such subjects, not to mention that Rei had garnered Michiru's agreement, a feat not so easily accomplished.

"Someone like _me_, koneko-chan? I'd take a good, hard look in the mirror before slinging allegations like that one around."

Rei sensed the flare in Minako's aura. Not wanting her leader to loose her cool, she laid a warning hand on the other woman's elbow.

Realizing that she was loosing ground, Haruka unleashed her aggression on Rei. "And you, newcomer. Do you protect Princess Serenity, or are you just here as Minako's bitch?"

Refusing to take the bait, no matter how tempting, Rei narrowed her eyes. "Screw off."

The Uranian seemed to recoil at the younger woman who seemed so impervious to her intimidation tactics and her hazel eyes narrowed when she saw the Venusian feed off that energy.

The leader of Serenity's guard smirked. "She's no more my bitch than Michiru-san is yours. After all, we all know who wears the pants in _that_ relationship."

Haruka's jaw clenched. Her hand balled into a fist and cocked behind her. Michiru's light touch disarmed her from doing something she'd doubtlessly regret afterward.

But it was Serenity who brought the uncomfortable argument to an undisputable end.

Her chair screeched across the marble floor and the Princess of the Moon Kingdom stood hurriedly. Her golden bangs masking her tear filled eyes, her hands balled into white knuckled fists. "Please stop." Her voice was a whisper. "Fighting amongst each other will get us nowhere. Its times like this where we need to work together."

She sniffled quietly. "You're _all_ senshi, aren't you?" Watery blue eyes implored each woman sitting around her table. "We all have the same goal, don't we?"

The reprimand was akin to being splashed in the face with ice water, and not one of the senshi dared make eye contact with another for fear of seeing their Princess' reproach in each other's doleful eyes.

Michiru smiled sweetly and arched a delicate, aqua eyebrow. "I think we're all going to get along just _fine_. Aren't we, Haruka?"

The sandy haired woman smirked and cracked her knuckles, relieved that her confident display brought forth a small smile on Serenity's face. "I guess in the end it doesn't matter. All I need to know is that we have an enemy to face. That's enough for me."

The Princess' small smile disappeared. "But we still don't know who that enemy is."

"Koneko-chan…" Haruka began softly. Her words died on her tongue when none of the other women would meet her gaze. Talk of the Earth, apparently, was off limits.

Michiru's hands steepled together in front of her. "It sounds like there's no strategy _to_ devise. All we can do right now is sit and wait."

The others nodded silently, obviously displeased with the only logical conclusion.

Haruka sighed. "And Serenity is due to head to Earth in five days to begin diplomatic talks with their leaders?"

"Serenity's not going to Earth."

All eyes turned to the leader of the inner senshi. Minako smirked. "_I'm_ going in her place."

"Mina-chan!" Serenity's cry was a reproachful protest. "This is _my_ duty as Princess!"

The Venusian smiled softly at her charge; despite the angry expression on Serenity's face, she was doing what she knew was best for her Princess. "I can't allow you to travel into hostile territory, and with only one senshi as protection. You should have known as much."

"Well, you _are_ a dead ringer for Serenity-chan." Ami said thoughtfully, looking for any distraction to pull their Princess out of her upset state. Damage control could be taken care of later, after all. And by the looks of things, she knew that Makoto, who had been tensely silent throughout the meeting, would also need some tending to.

The Venusian smirked. "Hmm. I don't know if that's an insult or a compliment, Ami-chan."

Serenity had the decency to feign insult. "Mina-chan!"

"And your aide? Who will you choose to accompany you?" Michiru asked.

All eyes turned to Rei expectantly.

The Martian rolled her eyes. "Oh, _wonderful_."

Haruka snickered and leaned towards Minako. "Are you _sure_ she's not your bitch?"

This time, it was Minako that had to keep Rei from leaping across the table at the Uranian.

* * *

"Stay here. I'll go ahead to our suite." 

"Eh?"

"Makoto." The Neptunian stated simply without breaking pace. "She's been following us since we left the meeting."

"Ah."

Haruka stopped and watched Michiru's graceful form until she disappeared through the Palace's side door. Finally, she uttered a long-suffering sigh and turned to what only appeared to be an empty courtyard.

"Come out, Makoto. I know you're there."

Fists clenched, the Jovian stepped out from behind a large tree, failing at the casual nature she struggled to project.

"I felt your glare on me through the whole meeting." Haruka said. "Surprised your little leader didn't put up more of a fight against me?"

"Maybe she's grown weak." Makoto growled.

Haruka arched an eyebrow. "Maybe she's grown _up_."

Makoto snarled. The airwaves around her distorted with a deep, green glow. Jupiter stood tall in Makoto's wake. "Shut up and fight me."

The Uranian shrugged. Jupiter was just like her, and as she suspected, just like their new Martian friend, as well; they were cut from the same cloth and their war-like instincts would guide them in matters such as these.

'_So be it.' _

In the space of time it took Haruka to smirk resignedly, she was enveloped in a golden glow. Uranus stood before Jupiter proudly.

The Jovian charged, her halberd aiming straight for the Uranian's chest. A jewel encrusted sword blocked the blow and sent the long range weapon clattering to the ground. A roundhouse kick to Jupiter's chest sent the brunette sprawling to the ground after it and Uranus kicked the halberd out of her reach.

Jupiter spat the dirt from her mouth and raised her torso on shaky arms. "I'm tired of not being strong enough compared to you."

"Then stop comparing yourself to me and set your own standards."

Jupiter looked up to those plainly spoken words, which, in the heat of her frustration would not sink in to her subconscious until the Jovian's rage had subsided.

"Don't take it so personally. I'm here to make you stronger, not make you feel bad about yourself."

"Could'a fooled me." The senshi of lightening wiped the corner of her mouth with an arm before leaping backwards and to her feet, affecting a defensive stance.

Uranus sheathed her sword. She rushed forward and met the woman in hand to hand combat – the preferred style for both their warring nations.

It didn't last long. The Jovian's punches and kicks, strong and fast though they were, were blocked by the Uranian. Ones that were stronger and faster were delivered and Jupiter found herself being pushed back. She was loosing ground. She was loosing stamina.

She was simply loosing.

Uranus lunged forward, grabbed Jupiter by the collar of her fuku, and pulled mightily. The Jovian was granted a very detailed view of the starry sky as her world was turned upside down. Her back hit the paver ground and the air was forced from her lungs.

The courtyard was silent, yet her ears rang with defeat.

A gentle fizzle in the air heralded a detransformation, and Haruka turned her back and wordlessly departed. There was nothing she could possibly say. The words she'd spoken earlier would still take a while to sink in. Besides, she noted, as she watched a small blunette rushing into the courtyard, she knew damage control was already on her way.

Drawn up on her knees, her fists clenched, the defeated woman pounded the hard pavers. She heard the Palace door shut with a click of finality but she was only alone in the courtyard for so long. Ami paused a fair distance away from her.

The brunette scowled at her lover's arrival. Pity would do her no good in this state. She turned her head sharply. "Please don't."

She saw the soft, blue glow through tightly clenched eyelids. Jupiter opened wide eyes to find Mercury frowning at her. The Mercurian's brow furrowed. Gloved hands rose to her chest. Jupiter had to press herself to the pavers to avoid the blast of a no-nonsense shabon spray.

Mercury eyed Jupiter expectantly. She cocked her hands to prepare another attack. "If you want to get stronger, you'll have to get up and fight, Mako."

A slow smirk tugged at Jupiter's lips. She raised her aching body off the ground, and summoned the lightening.

* * *

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. 

Minako filed the last of her reports and sat back in her chair with a contented sigh. That contentment faded all too soon as a tall blonde shouldered her way into her office. Haruka slammed the door shut behind her and pulled the chair opposite Minako away from the desk. Spinning the chair, she sat on it backwards, long legs sprawled on either side of it's back.

The Uranian propped her elbows on the chair's back and leaned forward with a coy smirk. "So tell me, Minako-_chan_, you'd fall for a Martian but not a Uranian?"

"You tell _me_," the Venusian crossed her arms over her chest, "does Michiru-san know what a cur you are?"

"She sure does." Haruka laid on a flattering smile.

"You're so insincere."

"Only with everyone _else_, koneko-chan."

"Cut the crap and tell me what you want, Haruka-san."

The sandy haired blonde's cocky smirk slipped into a frown. "You only have two days left. Are you ready for your decoy mission?"

"_Decoy_ makes it sound so dangerous."

"Maybe you should pull your head out of your ass and think twice about what you're walking into."

Minako's lips pursed into a fine, white line. "I'm as ready as I'm going to be."

Haruka nodded and a degree of seriousness was lifted. "And the Princess. Has she forgiven you?"

"Not… exactly. She's still rather upset, but she'll just have to deal with the disappointment. We can't risk her safety. She'll have to wait to see Endymion some other time."

"Ah. So _that's_ what this is about."

Minako nodded.

"Hmm. So you _have_ grown up, to be able to disregard Serenity's whims."

"Keh." The Venusian cursed at the Uranian's condescending attitude, although this _was_ the nicest she'd ever known Haruka to be. Somehow, Minako had the growing suspicion that she was being _coached_.

"And what of Mars? Are you sure she won't distract you from your mission?"

"Never." Minako's response was curt, her eyes hard. It was something unspoken, but understood. Duty was paramount to everything else. It was a fact each senshi was all too aware of, not least of all Haruka herself.

"I understand you and this Beryl woman didn't exactly hit it off. Will you be able to maintain your cool while keeping up the disguise of Serenity?"

"Pfft. Better than you ever could, you hot head."

Haruka leaned back, a smile on her lips. "Touché, Venus, touché."

The Venusian stood, her chair sliding across the floor dismissively. "Really, if you're done with your little game of twenty questions, I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Like Rei?"

Minako gathered a few belongings in her arms. She paused at the door and returned Haruka's smirk evenly. "Yes. Like Rei."

* * *

There was something primally alluring about seeing the Martian on a motorbike. 

Long, raven hair tied into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck, Mars straddled the dangerous machine with a commanding ease. Maybe it was the bike. Maybe it was Mars. Maybe it was just the difference of being near the fire senshi while she was in her civilian form, but Minako felt overwhelmed by the other woman.

"_She_ talked to you, didn't she?" Mars asked.

"Yes."

What Minako had really meant to say was, _'Do you see through me so easily?'_ But she already knew too well this woman's power over her. She didn't need it voiced.

"And?"

Minako flashed a "v" with two fingers at her second in command. "Maybe Haruka's not so bad after all."

Mars only rolled her eyes.

The Venusian sidled up to Mars' side. The bike clinked and ticked, and heat waves rolled off the exposed engine, indicative that the Priestess had already given it a thorough workout.

"Patrol duty? On this thing?"

"What," Mars frowned, "did you think the only thing I could drive was a pony?"

"Touché, but, these things _are_ pretty primitive. I guess it suits you. So scoot over."

Mars stiffened. "Eh?"

Just as she had ridden behind the Martian warrior on her stout pony what seemed like ages ago, but was really more like weeks, Minako placed her hands on the Martian's shoulders and swung a leg over the bike's seat, sliding her body tightly against the crimson warrior's. "Show me why you like this dangerous thing."

"You sure?" Mars felt the nod behind her head. The bike came to life with a roar. "You ready?" She called.

"I'm holding on, aren't I?"

The Martian smirked. With a flick of her wrist, the bike lunged forward, and Minako's casual devil-may-care hold around her waist tightened into a death grip as the bike sped away from the small town that skirted the Moon Palace and headed for the Lunar plains beyond, kicking up a faint trail of dust as it went.

Mars handled the machine like she did everything else - with reckless abandon. But despite the speed and wild maneuvers she made, Minako felt a smile on her face that hadn't been rivaled in as long as she could remember.

"The speed and the wind in your hair are great, but I think I know why you really like these bikes." The screaming wind threatened to steal Minako's words had her lips not been pressed firmly against Mars' ear. The crimson warrior repressed a shudder and chose not to ask. She knew the answer would be forthcoming.

It just hadn't been in the form she'd expected.

Minako's fingernails gently raked against Mars' inner thigh. "Because it feels good right about _here_."

Long fingers danced underneath the hem of the Martian's red skirt and the bike faltered, wobbling from side to side dangerously.

Under white gloves, Mars' fists were white knuckled as she regained control of her bike. The Venusian's laughter was music in her ears.

"Very funny." Mars barked, though the effect of her sarcasm was diminished by the laughter that laced her voice. "You know, I'll get you back for that."

"I'm counting on it." Minako purred.

* * *

Personal guard duty of Princess Serenity was a task the Martian was still trying to adjust to. 

Perhaps it wasn't so much the guarding, as it was the tea parties. She'd never heard of a bodyguard drinking tea from delicate cups and eating small cakes while keeping watch of her charge. But for the woman across the table from her, Mars would endure the breech in protocol.

"Do you know what its like to be separated from the one you… care strongly for?" Serenity's last three words were quickly reconsidered as a blush tinged her cheeks.

Mars opened her mouth. It clicked shut promptly. All of her life she'd been alone, but now, she found that the answer she had been so accustomed to providing no longer held true. And now that she _did_ have someone she… _cared strongly for_… she couldn't imagine having to be away from her.

Minako.

She was suddenly very relieved to be accompanying the Venusian on this dangerous mission, even if she _was_ relegated to the cover of an aide.

"Moon to Rei-chan?" Serenity giggled at her joke.

"Princess, I…" Mars stopped and considered her words carefully. A small smile touched her lips and her amethyst eyes softened. "You'll see your Prince again soon. Of this, I am certain."

Mars chanced a glance at her chronometer. Serenity's smile only widened.

"Tomorrow's the big day, ne?"

Mars only nodded, her mind a million miles away.

"Then perhaps you should go get ready for your trip to Earth. I'm sure Minako's waiting for you."

Mars rose. When her Princess pulled her into a friendly embrace, she didn't pull away.

* * *

Despite their relationship that had grown in leaps and bounds, she'd been in this place only once before, when she'd deposited a drunken Minako on her bed before taking her leave. 

This time, she wasn't so sure that she'd be leaving.

Rei and Minako lay on that very bed, a tangled mass of limbs and hair. Heavy petting had nearly devolved into something… more, when the Venusian halted her worship of Rei's body.

"Are we weak to hide from the growing problem like this?"

"If this is weakness," Rei said as her lips picked up Minako's slack, laying a kiss to the exposed skin above the other woman's breast, "I don't mind it nearly as much as I thought I would."

"You're bad." Minako scolded weakly.

Rei propped herself up an elbow. "I'm a realist, Minako. A warrior has to have more than just duty, even a leader. Don't you agree? Or are you really just looking for an excuse to distance yourself and play the martyr again?"

"No." Minako insisted abruptly. "I'm _not_ running away."

She paused. She was caught in the depths of those amethyst orbs. She knew her explanation had been enough for the Martian, but it wasn't enough for _her_. Minako's heart spoke without her brain's permission, and the sentiment slipped out-

"I love you, Rei."

"Mina…" The name was breathless. The Priestess regarded the woman underneath her blankly for a moment. Love was a Venusian concept. What she felt, she was sure, was deeper, and she returned the Martian equivalent.

"I need you more than the air that I breathe."

Minako smiled knowingly, and Rei claimed those pink lips eagerly.

Their first coupling would be not unlike their first meeting on that barbarian planet. Somewhat tentative, yet entirely passionate - both as willing to take as much as to give. On the Martian's part, it would be possessive, raw and powerful. On the Venusian's part, it would be loving and the joy of giving and the pleasure of taking.

Rei's nails danced along Minako's ribcage. Her fingers slid across the gentle hollow of her stomach before meeting the sharp rise of a hipbone. They trailed up the graceful contour of her leg and then across to the quivering muscles of Minako's inner thigh before gently cupping her hand around the woman's most sensitive spot.

Amethyst eyes sought cerulean.

"Rei… please…"

And she did.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Okay, so, not only did I cop out on the ending, I used the dreaded "L" word that I _hate_ using. I'd like to think I balanced it though, with Rei's response. I just… felt it needed it. Gah, don't kill me.

Please review!

Special thanks to all you that already have, especially:  
Mentalyoga: thank you so much for all your glowing reviews. I'm honored that you've kept reading all the way through, considering you don't care for senshi/senshi pairings. I know I probably ought to use a beta to take care of those pesky typos that I tend to read right on top of. I'm taking applications!  
Zodiac DragonHatori: Endymion is purposefully being kept in the dark by his people. More on that later. I'm glad you liked the politics!  
Haruka's Knight: Glad to see you back! I've missed your reviews. A side story for Ami and Mako isn't a bad idea. I'll keep that in mind. More on the device Endymion gave Serenity in the next chapter/this preview.  
TweekinTinkaToy: Maybe this wasn't quite the knock down drag out fight between Haruka and Minako that you were hoping for. I like the angle of reluctant comrades, still taking pot-shots at one another, and couldn't quite make them into enemies. Still, I _would_ appreciate any drawing!

OOO

For a little something special, here's a stupid omake that I really wished I could have squeezed in, but just didn't have the guts to:

Makoto propped herself up on an elbow. "Ami, what is it?"

"I just remembered, I have to give Mina-chan these files for her to read. They should prove useful since she's not too familiar with Earth customs. I'll be right back"

Makoto shrugged as Ami dashed from their suite.

Only then did she remember, _'isn't Rei-san's shift over by now?' _

The blunette returned shortly thereafter. Ami shut the door behind her haltingly and then pressed her back against it. Her crimson blush was telling, but Makoto was still compelled to ask.

"What is it?"

"I didn't know… that two women could achieve that position."

Makoto fought back a chuckle. "Maybe they could teach us a thing or two, ne?"

Ami's blush reached new heights. "Makoto!"

OOO

Preview: Chapter 10: Substitute Serenity

There was an urgent beep at the breakfast table.

Four sets of curious eyes scanned the room. Serenity fidgeted and did her best to discreetly glance at the device clasped in her hands under the table's edge.

Haruka, Michiru, Ami, and Makoto exchanged suspicious glances that were confirmed by their Princess' sudden gasp. Watery, blue eyes beseeched her guardians.

"Endymion…" there was a pregnant pause, "he's going to meet _Serenity_ in her chambers."

"Eh!?"

The Princess of the Moon found her four guardians instantly surrounding her. Makoto pulled her chair away from the table as though she weighed nothing. Haruka snatched the small object from her palm. She paled at the text message meant for the Princess' eyes only.

"You should have told us about this." The Uranian scolded sharply.

"This isn't the time for arguments!" Ami snapped.

Serenity snatched the device back quickly. Haruka didn't put up a fight.

"We have to alert Minako." Michiru urged.

Makoto was already on it. Her hand held before her, her chronometer blinked to no avail. "Why won't they answer!?"

"You tried them both?"

"Yes!"

An uncomfortable silence rested heavily on their shoulders.

Michiru's arms settled across her chest. "We'll just have to trust that they'll be able to keep up the façade."

A fork skirted the edge of a porcelain plate and worried eyes caught worried gazes.


	10. Chapter 10

A Single Voice  
Chapter 10: Substitute Serenity  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The shuttle touched down gingerly in a concrete jungle that somehow seemed at peace in its green and blue surroundings. Inside the craft, the Princess and her aide prepared to meet the Earthlings when Mars suddenly stumbled to her knees.

"Rei!" Minako, disguised as Princess Serenity, rushed to the Martian's side.

Mars gripped her head. "The dark energy… it's very strong here. My senses are clouded." Her gloved hands formed tight fists.

The shuttle doors slid open with an audible rush of air. Forcing a neutral expression to her face, Mars rushed to her feet. Settling on a stony mask of indifference, she pulled Minako upright with her. "Let's go, Princess."

Exiting the shuttle, the women blinked. The sun's influence on Earth was deceptively strong, despite its thick atmosphere. When the spots in their eyes had faded and they had adjusted to the brightness, Mars found Endymion had wasted no time. Standing tall in front of them, he tightly clasped the Princess' hands.

"Serenity, it's so good to see you again. Thank you for agreeing to come to our humble planet."

"The pleasure's all mine, Endymion."

The Martian felt her hackles rise. _'He thinks she's Serenity.'_ She reminded herself. It was a running mantra that repeated itself in an endless loop as the image of her Princess smiled in Endymion's direction. Turning, she slipped an arm into the crook of his waiting elbow.

Just off the landing platform, Beryl and the shitennou stood waiting. It was no small amount of comfort that they seemed equally displeased with the display of affection. Mars focused her scathing gaze on them instead.

"Princess," Beryl's smile was more akin to a sneer as the three descended the landing platform. Cold eyes met the crimson warrior. "Mars?" She asked, making no attempt to hide her disappointment. "I expected the little Venusian."

The Martian sneered. "She had other matters of importance to attend to."

"Ah, sou." The tactician affected a casual shrug. Mars watched her suspiciously, and the tall human spun around to lead the group while saying over her shoulder, "Well, allow us to show you our capital city of Edo, Princess."

Gesturing grandly, a history lesson that refused to be absorbed ensued as Beryl led them through the capital. The Earth truly was a paradise among planets, but the two foreigners had no time to admire its clear blue sky and abundant greenery, which thrived even in this bustling metropolis made of old fashioned stone and new age concrete and steel.

The shitennou trailed along behind the others, doggedly distracted. Endymion proudly paraded the Princess around on his arm. How he was oblivious to the disapproving glances directed at them from both the city's civilians and his own party seemed a wonder to Mars, who kept on the alert for any signs of trouble from the unpleased crowd.

Cold eyes lighted on Mars' dark form. Beryl allowed Endymion to distract Serenity so she could approach the Martian discreetly.

"You see how they look at them, don't you." She gestured to where the Prince was proudly showing the Princess small, shiny trinkets from a street-side vendor. Serenity smiled and giggled. The Martian's eyes hardened.

Beryl sneered at the crimson warrior. "It's probably a good thing that Venus isn't here. They might hate her even more than your pretty little Princess, being the warrior of love and beauty and what have you." A laugh like nails on a chalkboard made the woman before her visibly shiver. "They think your kind cares only for themselves and beautiful things, you know."

"Minako… Venus isn't like that."

Beryl raised an amused eyebrow. She pondered toying with her substitute Venus a while longer, but those amethyst eyes suddenly shot toward the canopy of the trees above. Her gaze followed suit, and she pondered at what might have caught the Martian's interest when the sudden scream of a thousand birds pulled everyone else's attention in the same direction, and as one, a mass of black-winged birds took to the sky.

A warning.

The ground beneath their feet trembled. Endymion threw his arms around Serenity. Mars had to force herself to hold her ground. Citizens panicked. Screams rang through the street. The shitennou crowded around Beryl. People dropped to their knees and covered their heads. Dust filled the air.

The trembling stopped.

The screaming subsided. Serenity subtly pulled herself from Endymion's arms and inched towards Mars. The shitennou scattered away from the tactician. Those citizens who had dropped to the ground slowly rose. Accusing eyes turned to the representatives of the Moon Kingdom, and to their Prince. Beryl smirked.

"It was only a minor earthquake. There's no reason to be… afraid." Beryl faltered when she turned to Serenity, disappointed to see not the slightest amount of fear in the Princess' strong, cerulean gaze.

"This is a symptom of the increase in ecological disasters?" The Princess asked.

Beryl nodded. "…yes." She recovered quickly. "Perhaps this is enough excitement for one day. Let us retire, shall we?"

The decision was deferred to the Princess, who nodded her approval gracefully. The return to the Edo Palace was a quiet one, and much to the discomfort of both the Princess and Mars, it was Beryl who showed them to their suites. The tall woman led the way, too many paces in front of them, her curly, red hair swaying between her shoulder blades, and every step Serenity and Mars made sounded too loud to their ears.

At length, Beryl stopped in front of a large, wooden door. "Your suites are just down this hallway. I hope you find your stay here comfortable, ladies."

The Princess bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for your hospitality, tactician."

Very slowly, Beryl smiled. "You're quite welcome, _Princess Serenity_."

* * *

The door clicked shut behind them. Immediately, Mars prowled the room, searching for traps, cameras, anything out of the ordinary. With fingers idly trailing over any obstacle that crossed her path, Minako made a beeline for an open courtyard at the end of a wooden porch on the other side of opened sliding doors. 

After what felt like too long, she finally felt Mars at her back. The Martian's form was stiff and alert, but she placed a strong arm around Minako's middle, and the Venusian allowed the other woman's gentle strength to relax her.

"We can't see if from here." Minako said distractedly.

"See what?"

"The Moon."

Mars' gaze left her lover to reach upwards; beyond the koi pond, beyond the rock garden, beyond the leafy boughs of the ancient maples. There was no moon in the clear, dark sky. But there was one other bright point of golden light in the night sky that was not a star at all.

"Venus still shines brightly here."

"They call it the evening star at this time of night." Minako said. Her eyes drifted closed as Mars' arms tightened around her waist.

"Stupid humans."

Minako snickered, but found herself being spun in the Martian's embrace and then eased back against the porch railing.

"I wanted to rip him apart, you know."

"Endymion?"

The very name made that possessive streak inside Rei flare. She had only claimed Minako as her own the night before, but to be under such stress and restraint given their mission was sorely bothering her. She leaned forward and her breath mingled with the Venusian's.

But Mars pulled back abruptly. Minako's eyes fluttered open slowly. A frown turning at her lips, she searched for answers.

Mars poked a finger at the false crescent moon mark on the other woman's forehead. Her Venusian looked too much like her Princess. She shook her head by means of explanation. "I… can't."

Minako smiled sweetly. "I'm glad."

The Venusian reached up, and with nimble fingers, released the intricate pins that held her hair up in Serenity's distinctive style. First one side, and then the other, her long, golden hair fell in wavy sheets to her waist. Finally, she pulled the offending golden symbol from her forehead.

"Better?" She whispered.

Mars smirked. A crimson light enveloped her and she closed her eyes against the tingle of her destransformation. Rei grinned at Minako, and this time, she didn't hesitate as she leaned in.

But this time, _she_ was stopped by a firm finger on her lips and mischievous eyes.

Minako winked at Rei and slipped from her hold. The Venusian sauntered back inside and found the suite's spacious bathroom. Over her shoulder, she caught the Priestess' predatory gaze.

"I'll be in the shower, if you want me."

She slipped into the room. The sound of running water soon reached Rei's ears.

Understanding finally dawned on the Martian, and she bolted after her partner with a lecherous smirk.

* * *

There was an urgent beep at the breakfast table. 

Four sets of curious eyes scanned the room. Serenity fidgeted and did her best to discreetly glance at the device clasped in her hands under the table's edge.

Haruka, Michiru, Ami, and Makoto exchanged suspicious glances that were confirmed by their Princess' sudden gasp. Watery, blue eyes beseeched her guardians.

"Endymion…" there was a pregnant pause, "he's going to meet _Serenity_ in her chambers."

"Eh!?"

The Princess of the Moon found her four guardians instantly surrounding her. Makoto pulled her chair away from the table. Haruka snatched the small object from her palm. She paled at the text message meant for the Princess' eyes only.

"You should have told us about this." The Uranian scolded sharply.

"This isn't the time for arguments!" Ami snapped.

Serenity snatched the device back quickly. Haruka didn't put up a fight.

"We have to alert Minako." Michiru urged.

Makoto was already on it. Her hand held before her, her chronometer blinked to no avail. "Why won't they answer!?"

"You tried them both?"

"Yes!"

An uncomfortable silence rested heavily on their shoulders.

Michiru's arms settled across her chest. "We'll just have to trust that they'll be able to keep up the façade."

A fork skirted the edge of a porcelain plate and worried eyes caught worried gazes.

* * *

Rei's lips paused on Minako's collarbone. 

"Rei, what-"

"Shh."

The Priestess placed the sound; boots on the wooden decking outside their suite. She hopped off the bed. Hurriedly, she tossed some clothes in Minako's direction and in a crimson glow, Mars headed for the courtyard.

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

A bouquet of red roses hit the wooden planks, forgotten. "Seren…ity?"

Endymion's form stood hesitantly in the doorway, his dark eyes trained on the shadowed form of the one on the bed that he had expected to be Princess Serenity. Loose, long blonde hair was similar, but not the same. Blue, worried eyes were just a shade off. Rising from the bed, she held the ends of a shirt that was a couple inches too long – as though it belonged to someone else - closely to her to her thighs. The body, slightly shorter, barely slimmer, was different than the one he knew.

Endymion's eyes darted around flightily. Mars lunged forward. The Prince had strength, but she had speed, and he quickly found himself pinned to the wall with Mars' sword held between their bodies warningly. He couldn't help but notice that there was a carefully restrained rage in those amethyst eyes.

"Venus… Minako-san." He whispered, his eyes once again trained on the one who was not his Princess.

"Congratulations." Mars growled.

Minako approached the crimson warrior's side and laid a restraining hand on her shoulder. Amethyst eyes lost their edge, but the sword remained firm.

"Why?" One word. It was all the Prince of Earth felt he would be allowed.

"We couldn't have sent Serenity here with only one protector. Not given the circumstances. Surely, you must understand."

"This is a great risk you're taking, Venus."

"I know, but we do it for _her_." Minako noted the reluctant understanding she found in Endymion's dark eyes.

"But if Beryl were to find out-"

Mars' sword pressed closer to the Earthling. "Beryl this, Beryl that – _who_ is the ruler of this damned planet?"

Endymion's dark eyes hardened. "The situation is not so simple, Mars."

"Try us." Minako pressed. Endymion's gaze focused on the weapon before him. A hand on Mars' elbow prompted the Martian to withdraw her sword. She hesitatingly sheathed it, but felt the flames of her powers burning at her fingertips, ready and willing.

The Prince sighed. "Beryl is not only tactician, but aide and viceroy. Her decisions and suggestions weigh heavily on the shitennou. I find them more attentive to _her_ these days."

"So the man _isn't_ blind."

Minako let that one slip and didn't reprimand the Martian.

"There's little I can do." Endymion's hands balled into tight fists. "I may be Prince, but the lands of Earth themselves – divided among the shitennou - are ruled by them respectively."

"Then that makes you nothing more than a figurehead."

The Prince reluctantly turned his gaze from Minako's harsh truth.

Mars' expression turned thoughtful. "Beryl aside, or perhaps it is Beryl _herself_… there's something… not right here. As protector of this planet, you must feel it too, don't you?"

Through gritted teeth, Endymion replied. "I do."

"Then Endymion, let us work together."

The Prince's downcast gaze held a glimmer of hope, and Minako offered the slightest of smiles.

* * *

"Excuse me." 

Serenity slipped away from her senshi. Even in her own courtyard, there was little privacy when her warriors were keeping a close watch over her. Standing behind a pillar, the Princess fished inside her dress for the device Endymion had given her. At least she'd found its silent mode. She gasped when she read Endymion's message.

-You could have told me-

Her fingers typed her reply furiously. –I couldn't I'm sorry-

-I understand but I wish it was you down here-

-As do I my love-

There was a pause. Serenity grew restless. –You'll help us then-

-Of course my dear I'm sorry things had to happen this way-

Another pause.

-Serenity?-

But the Princess of the Moon Kingdom had once again hid the device in her dress and donned her plastic smile, for her senshi had found her.

* * *

The second day of deliberations had proved to be as fruitless as the first. 

Serenity pushed aside several propositions for peacekeeping speeches. Instead, she turned to the shitennou; the ever present, frequently silent force who's only purpose seemed to be to loom over proceedings darkly and to keep an eye on Beryl.

"What of the research of the youma on the Earth's pole? Have any efforts been made to begin this initiative?"

Kunzite scowled. "Our scientists are ironing out the logistics."

"And have your scientists received Mercury's reports regarding the phenomenon of the sunspots? There was another minor earthquake this morning, and a rather more serious one several hours ago. The weather now may also be related."

As if on cue, gale force winds howled outside the battered down windows. The room's lights dimmed, flickered, and then reestablished themselves.

Beryl frowned all too knowingly. "I assure you, Princess, all efforts are being made to incorporate the Moon's findings with our own. We have researchers working twenty-four seven on this effort."

The Princess' brow furrowed, "But I can-"

With a click and a deafening thud of generators coming to a screeching halt, the power failed and the room was bathed in darkness. Under the table, Minako reached for Mars' hand. Scrambling and curses ensued as the shitennou searched for a lantern.

It was a glowing fire that finally shed a flickering, dancing light in the room once again, and it was born from Mars' free hand, a tongue of flame hovering in her open palm.

Beryl pulled her fingers from her temple hurriedly and forced her squinted, pain filled eyes to open wide. Mars was staring straight at her. The tactician smiled with thin, white lips, and rose to her feet.

"Given the circumstances, I think we should call an end to the day's meetings."

* * *

They sat out the worst of the raging storm in their suite. It was only Mars' small flame and the flickering blue-white lightening that lit the large, dark space, the frequent flashes of lightening serving only to draw bold shadows out of the darkness. 

"It's deliberate." Minako passed Mars' rigid, watchful form, turned, and paced back for another round.

"Un."

"They're stalling on purpose."

"Ah."

"Two days and we've done absolutely _nothing_ of worth!"

Mars nodded silently.

"I'm tired of these politics."

Amethyst eyes hardened.

"I'm tired of waiting for them to make a _move_."

"They won't, Minako."

"What do we do?" Minako's words were a troubled whisper.

The Martian's brow furrowed. "We do what we wanted to all along. We go to the pole ourselves and get the proof that we need."

Minako worried her bottom lip. If they were caught, they'd be risking more than just their lives, they'd be risking their alliance with the Earth. If they did go, they might find answers. If they didn't, they risked only more questions to add to their ever growing list. The flame in Mars' palm faltered in the slightest.

Finally, Minako nodded. "Let's do it."

* * *

When Mars opened her eyes, she found herself in a frozen wasteland of snow and ice as far as the eye could see. 

"It worked."

Venus tentatively opened her eyes. The mingling of their red and orange auras faded and she reluctantly unlaced her fingers from the Martian's.

"Sailor Teleport. I've never tried it with only one other senshi. Usually, we need the strength of at least three."

"I wonder if the others can do it in pairs as well."

"Maa." Venus looked thoughtful. She began walking in the deep snow, but was halted by a restraining hand on her wrist. She turned to her partner in question.

"Let's try not to get in a fight with the youma this time."

Venus sucked her teeth and grinned. "Oh, you're no _fun_."

"Minako…"

"If you recall, I avoided a fight on Venus all together. I snuck in, did some reconnaissance, and got out undetected."

The Martian cocked a hand on her hip. "What are you trying to say?"

"Maybe it's _you_."

Mars only frowned at the causal barb, but she couldn't ignore the nagging thought; certainly, the darkness wouldn't be attuned to one of the light like Venus, but could the darkness actively be seeking _her_ out? The next thing she knew, her grip around her commander's wrist was reversed, and she was being tugged forward, even as her mind kept running.

The darkness…

Mars crumpled to her knees.

"Rei!"

The crimson warrior gritted her teeth, her fingers clawed into the snow. Long, raven bangs hid squinted eyes. "It's nearly overwhelming." She panted.

"Dark energy?"

Mars could only nod. "The energy that the youma have been collecting from the populations of the rest of our planets… it's concentrated here, as though they're hoarding it for something."

Mars' frame shook, and she paused. Venus pressed her body against the other woman's reassuringly. "But there's something… else here. Another power. A… darker power." Gloved hands shot to her forehead and Mars bit her lip to suppress a scream. Quickly, she struggled to rebuild the walls around her senses, an attempt to block out the worst of the evil's painful effects without closing off her powers all together.

Shakily, she rose. Venus' hands clutched her arms, steadying her. Mars brushed her off and walked forward. The crimson warrior didn't want the other woman to experience the extent of that pain by siphoning it from her senses.

"Lets go."

They didn't have far to travel, but they didn't find exactly what they'd expected, either. They found less, but they also found more. Their bodies pressed tightly against the cover of an outcropping of rock, Mars and Venus peered at the youma camp.

"So few?" Venus asked of the couple hundred youma that milled around the camp's center. "Is Earth not their base after all?"

"It must be." Mars indicated the wealth of permanent structures erected around the camp. "The _humans_ must at least conduct operations from here."

"Then the youma-"

"_They_ are not from this planet. They must be being funneled from some other place. If only we knew where the access point was pointing to, where they're coming from."

Venus frowned. Her eyes focused on the sun, high in the sky. She noted that its rays were intensely warm despite the bitterly cold air. She frowned, and then held her chronometer in front of her. "Mercury. Do you copy me?" She called quietly.

Mars turned, her eyes wide. "What are you-"

"This is Mercury."

"Tell me, should the sun be visible at the Earth's pole right now?"

"Venus," Mercury's voice bordered on suspicion, "where are you?"

"Answer the question, Mercury."

There was a moment of silence. The Venusian could imagine the Mercurian's blue super computer coming to life under the genius' fingertips.

"Negative." Mercury responded. "The sun should not be visible due to the Earth's axial tilt."

"Then tell me why I can see it in the middle of the sky, Ami-chan."

More silence. This one was longer, and punctuated by much more typing.

After she'd checked and double checked her result, Mercury's voice was a hoarse whisper. "It looks like it's more than just the sunspots affecting the Earth. The planet's axis is shifting… so that the pole is beginning to lean towards the sun."

The golden warrior nodded sharply. "Thank you, Mercury, that's all I needed. Venus ou-"

"You'll have some explaining to do later, Venus."

The Venusian smirked. "I know. Venus out."

Venus slapped her partner on the back. "Did you get all that-" Her breath hitched in her throat, for Mars suddenly looked so very pale.

"The humans," Mars whispered, "they're here too."

From the relative safety of their hiding spots, Mars and Venus' chronometers provided magnified images of their line of sight. Four men poured out of a building in a tight, single file line. Venus gasped. "Is that-"

"The shitennou."

"But how did they get here so quickly?"

"How did _we_ get here so quickly?"

Venus hesitated, not wanting to voice her suspicion. "They must have magics similar to ours."

Finally, one other figure exited the building behind the four men. The Venusian nearly growled. "Beryl."

Mars had seen, and Mars had heard, but her consciousness was suddenly very, very far away. Blindly, she reached to her commander, and pulled her partner towards her until their foreheads touched.

Nearing a trance-like state, Mars slowly shut her eyes.

_A red haired woman stood with her face tilted towards a black sky. A golden sword had skewered her through her stomach, and dark blood spilled from the wound, but this did not halt the maniacal laughter that erupted from her sneering mouth. _

_Her arms extended above her. The black sky parted. The sun - large, and orange, and angry - filled the void in the clouds. _

_The wound that should have taken her life _came_ to life._

_A monster made of shadow emerged from around the sword's blade. Darker than night and with little form more than an undefined shape with vague red eyes and a gaping mouth, the creature grew, stretching its incorporeal arms as if released from a long slumber. _

_It seemed to take stock of its surroundings for a brief moment, but then with a snarl, it leapt upwards, and dived into the woman's gaping, laughing mouth, and in that one, wonderful moment, that maniacal laughter ceased._

_The red haired woman brought her dark gaze parallel to the ground. Her eyes flashed red, her hands gripped the sword's blade, and she effortlessly pulled the weapon from her abdomen._

_There was no blood._

Slowly, Mars released her hold on Venus.

Cerulean eyes blinked back tears."That was… Beryl."

"And the one controlling her."

"It was… a premonition?"

Mars could only nod numbly.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Yay, plot! More political intrigue, so, depending on how much one likes politics (personally, I'm not a fan), this chapter was either a total bore, or pretty useful.

Please leave a review!

Special thanks to:  
First and foremost, thanks to sammeex, who was so wonderful as to draw an awesome sketch of Rei on her motorbike from the last chapter. You can find a link to the image on my profile page, since fanfic dot net won't allow hotlinking in chapters.

Neuro: I'm really glad that you, and so many others, really liked the omake in the last chapter. I was really on the fence about it, but apparently, now, it's considered canon!  
Amiko-Gabriel: While I very much appreciate your criticism, I don't believe Rei is too OOC. When we first meet Rei, she is a closed individual who has nothing but her devotion to her planet to guide her. Given a greater goal, and an actual person to concentrate her emotions on, doubtlessly, she's going to change (and what would a story be without character development?). I've stated that Martians are possessive and passionate. When she comes into these Martian tendencies, she's going to have to change, and it's been a gradual progression brought by trial and experience over the last nine chapters up until this point. So personally, I don't feel the way you do about it, though I do respect your opinion. I do, however, agree that I pulled quite the cliché back in the last chapter. . You got me there.  
LicketySplat: Honestly, I don't know how exactly I came about deciding to pit Minako and Haruka against each other. It just sort of wrote itself, and it did seem pretty logical given that they both lead their own sets of warriors. Plus, it was a ton of fun to come up with.  
Hanyou: nice to meet'cha, fellow gutter-dweller!  
Third Earth: glad to hear from you again! Sturm and drang are always fun, but for this fic, I didn't want to drag Rei and Minako quite through the wringer of the angst machine (err, that's what my next fic is for), so I'm glad you appreciated that too.  
Krampus: I'm glad you thought the end of the last chapter was as hot as I did. . And regarding love being a Venusian concept, one has to wonder how these fictional cultures might have different takes on the word, right? And that's half the fun of writing.

O O O

Preview, Chapter 11: Your Weakness

A young wisp of a man paused on his way past the guest chambers. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but always eager to please the one he deemed his leader, he wasn't beyond claiming any opportunity that happened his way, either.

He could hear muffled voices just beyond the door.

"I'm opening the door now. Can you behave yourself for a little while?"

"I don't know, can _you_?"

There was a long suffering sigh. The door finally opened. The conversation itself could have been interpreted many different ways, but when Princess Serenity grabbed Sailor Mars' wrist and pulled the other woman towards her for what she promised was "just one last kiss", Jadeite's blue eyes widened, and with red cheeks, he took to his heels.

Darting down hallways at full speed, he turned corners until he was out of breath. Breeching protocol, he barged into Beryl's chambers.


	11. Chapter 11

A Single Voice  
Chapter 11: Your Weakness  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Despite the fact that the facilities of the Moon Palace were run by a highly sophisticated super computer that controlled both temperature and light, several small candles provided a dim glow in the Queen's darkened personal chambers and the open window delivered a slight, natural breeze.

"Mother?"

Queen Serenity's shoulders slumped. She cracked an eye open. Meditation had never come naturally to her daughter, but despite the teen's excitability, the Queen was confident that the Princess possessed a commanding state of calm when she needed it most, and so, she chose to humor her.

"Yes, Serenity?"

"My guardians, Endymion, everyone I love… I want to help them." Her voice had been a whisper, awkward at first, but growing steadily in both conviction and courage. "They act for me, and I feel powerless, watching them fight while I do nothing to assist them."

There was a silence, and the young Princess wondered if her mother was in too deep a meditative state to have properly heard her. Accepting her fate, she closed her eyes and tried once again to calm her troubled soul and join her mother in meditation.

"Come with me, my daughter."

Surprised, Serenity's eyes shot open. She had to scramble to her feet and quicken her pace to closely follow on the Queen's heels as her mother, holding a small candle, led her deeper into her chambers.

The blonde's breath caught in her throat. A hidden room. She had to turn her body to the side to enter through the small door hidden behind a tapestry, and once she was inside the small, stone space, she found there was barely enough space for her mother and herself.

But the real reason for Serenity's disorientation was that the room was filled with images akin to video - magical projections of all those she held dear.

In one such projection, the golden light of Earth's dawn streamed through rice paper partitions and in an expansive bed, with white sheets pulled up to their chins where they lay snuggled together, Minako and Rei were just beginning to stir to wakefulness. In another, Makoto and Ami were in the palace kitchen, the taller woman carefully guiding the blunette through a well worn and tattered recipe that lay on the counter's edge. In yet another, Haruka sat at an expansive piano. Her fingers flew over its keys and Michiru stood, pressed against her back, her eyes closed as her violin matched harmony to melody.

"These girls," the Queen said softly, "they love each other because they love you."

Another image came into view, this one of Endymion. Sitting amongst a rose garden, he held a small, black device in his palm longingly. Serenity's hand ghosted over its twin, hidden in the folds of her dress.

"This man loves you for you."

Blue eyes began to water. The Princess dabbed at the corners of her eyes as her gaze tried to pay each image equal attention.

"Do you think that all of these people, so completely different from each other, would be so blindly devoted to you if they felt that you were not so deserving of their love?"

A tear slipped down Serenity's cheek unchecked. Her mother turned to her. Soft eyes so very much like her own studied the Princess with kindness.

"You have a power within you that surpasses all of theirs combined, my daughter." The Queen smiled slightly at the incredulous gaze that threatened to dispute her claim. "You will understand that power when the time is right, and you will fight alongside them as you so wish."

The Queen's smile faltered slightly. "But it will not be easy, Serenity. And there will be many failures before you come into your own."

Tears rolled freely down the Princess' cheeks. Uttering a nearly silent sob, she threw herself into her mother's waiting arms and allowed the Queen's gentle strength to soothe her.

* * *

The grainy image of Haruka folded her arms over her chest. "So you're telling us that the human energy the youma have been hoarding is centered at the Earth's pole, that you sense a power there that's even darker than the youma, that Beryl may be the avatar of this power, _and_ that this power seems to be focused from the sun."

"Yes." Minako replied easily, securing one side of her long blonde hair into Serenity's distinctive ponytail-bun.

Even Rei, perched carefully on the edge of the bed and pressed closely against Minako where they shared one communicator between them, averted her eyes. The whole thing _did_ sound a little far fetched, after all. If it weren't for the conviction of her own senses, she wouldn't have believed it either.

"So then… where do we go from here?" Serenity's desolate voice sounded hopeless and far away.

Haruka's fist pounded her open palm. "Attack Beryl. If we take out the avatar, what happens to the darkness?"

Michiru shook her head. "It would find a new host, only delaying the inevitable."

"Besides, if we were to take her out, we'd have mutiny on our hands. The shitennou, whether they are simply under her sway or the sway of the darkness, follow her." Minako said this matter of factly as she brushed out the other half of her hair.

Haruka threw her hands into the air. "Fine. Nuke the whole damn planet then!"

"Uranus Haruka!"

The Uranian winced at the sharp scolding from her Princess. But again, her face hardened. "While we wait, the situation will only worsen." Her hazel eyes circled the room, lingering on Makoto and then turning to the communicator's projection to eye Rei meaningfully. "It'll worsen on _all_ of our planets while we do nothing."

The Martian and the Jovian studied Haruka intently. Instinct demanded they follow the Uranian's subtle war cry.

Serenity stood and broke her tentative quiet. "Our only option is to wait this out." She began to pace the length of the conference table, staring more at her hands than the other women. "To attack would be to bring war to the entire Solar System, and to break our treaty with Earth. If we were to break our treaty with Earth, the other planets would question the Moon's integrity."

She turned to the grainy projection of Minako. "We have to wait for Beryl to make the first move."

"Ah… yes." Minako said slowly, for she was not the only one totally taken aback by the calm sense of confidence and leadership displayed by their young Princess.

"You know your position is even more dangerous now than it was before." Michiru stated quietly.

The Venusian nodded sharply. "We do."

Michiru smirked. "Oh, and Venus? About your little trip to the pole-"

"Save it." Minako said, suddenly cracking a grin. "You can punish us later. We're running late for a meeting with the Earthlings. Venus out." She had the audacity to flash her friends a "v" with two fingers before abruptly ending the communication.

Rei turned to her commander with a deadpan expression. "What's this _us_ business? So quick to sign me up for punishment?"

"Way to be a team player, Rei." Minako affected a wounded expression. "If I recall correctly, this whole thing was _your_ idea."

The Martian found a hairbrush being pushed into her palm. She eyed it warily. The Venusian looked at it expectantly. With a sigh, Rei acquiesced and set to securing the other side of Minako's hair to match Serenity's look. She ran the fine bristled brush through golden strands carefully.

"Mina…"

"Hnn?"

"I've just got this feeling… I want you to be careful today."

The Venusian cracked an eye to glance sideways at her lover. "Shut up and brush."

Rei sucked her teeth noisily. "I'm _not_ fooling around here."

"No?" Minako turned and grabbed the hand brushing her hair. She was met with little resistance as she pushed that hand, and its owner, back to the bed's pillows. "Well _I_ am."

"Ch'." Rei's curse was swallowed by a passionate kiss. She turned her head sideways to free her lips. "I'm afraid Beryl's on to us, Minako."

"Nonsense." Undeterred, she found a suitable replacement for the Priestess' lips in a spot under Rei's chin. "I'm much too good an actress for that." Questing hands slid under the Martian's nightshirt.

"But… I can't shake the feeling…"

Minako paused her ministrations to find muddled amethyst eyes. "You said yourself that your senses were clouded here."

Rei frowned. "You don't believe me?"

Minako met that intensity. "You don't trust me?"

The silence between them grew. The two women were at a stalemate. This was dangerous territory, and neither one knew how to answer each other's loaded questions.

So they didn't.

Minako smirked. "Would you stop worrying and freaking kiss me already?"

Rei was still a moment, and then she found herself rolling her weight over Minako to pin the slightly smaller woman in a similar hold. Her lips hovered over Minako's neck, bared and waiting for Rei's possession, however, it seemed the Martian was still in a teasing mood. But that was fine with the Venusian, for she could banter through any occasion.

"I thought you said… we didn't have time… for this." Rei found her protest halted by playful kisses that otherwise busied her lips.

"Beryl? She can wait." Minako's breath hitched in her throat as Rei's fingernails brushed across her stomach before skirting lower. Her back arched off the bed, pushing her chest into Rei's as she felt teeth on her shoulder. Deft fingers began to quickly unbutton the front of the Venusian's shirt.

"Besides," Minako accused, "you're not ready either."

Never pausing in her descending worship of Minako's bare skin, a crimson light illuminated Rei's form. Sailor Mars roughly fondled one of Minako's breasts.

"Happy now?"

"Yes. Wait… no." Minako half pouted, half gasped as she thought it over. "That's not playing _fair_."

The golden haired woman flipped her weight and pinned Mars underneath her. One more fight for dominance in this direction would land them both on the floor and so Mars surrendered.

"I fail to see where you _ever_ play fair." The Martian said huskily.

Minako slipped a knee between Mars' thighs. "Like now?" She asked coyly.

Mars could only half growl, half purr her response.

* * *

Pinning Ami and Makoto with pleading glances, Serenity carefully waited for her outer court to leave the room. Her two inner senshi looked to her with cautious gazes. The door shut behind Haruka and Michiru with a hushed click, and Serenity dropped her façade.

"Take me to the Earth!" She cried.

Makoto recoiled, a frown pulling at her lips. "You know we can't do that, Princess." She glanced to her partner for backup, and was unpleased to find the blunette seeming to consider their young charge's demand. "Ami-chan…" Her voice wavered.

Serenity jumped at the chance to divide and conquer the rift between the two further. "I _order_ you to take me there."

To this, the Jovian laughed distantly. "Now I know that's not you. You'd never order any of us to do something we knew wasn't right."

"Do you feel the circumstances are so dire if you don't go, Serenity-chan?"

The Princess of the Moon looked to Ami while nibbling on her bottom lip. Her next words were a whisper. "Yes. And if you don't take me now, then I'll go by myself."

Makoto bristled. "I won't-"

"Are you going to stand guard on her twenty-four seven, Mako-chan?" Ami quietly interrupted. Avoidant blues eyes indicated that she didn't like the idea, but liked its alternative even less.

Hazel eyes hardened at the Princess. "You'll put Venus and Mars at even greater risk if we go to the surface."

"I don't wish for that, but…" Serenity met her guardian's disapproving glare. "I can't seem to explain it, but this is something that _I_ have to do."

* * *

His boots echoed down the hall of the Edo palace as a young wisp of a man paused on his way past the guest chambers. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but always eager to please the one he deemed his leader, he wasn't beyond claiming any opportunity that happened his way, either.

He could hear muffled voices just beyond the door.

"I'm opening the door now. Can you behave yourself for a little while?"

"I don't know, can _you_?"

There was a long suffering sigh. The door finally opened. The conversation itself could have been interpreted many different ways, but when Princess Serenity grabbed Sailor Mars' wrist and pulled the other woman towards her for what she promised was "one last kiss", Jadeite's blue eyes widened, and with red cheeks, he took to his heels.

Darting down hallways at full speed, he turned corners until he was out of breath. Breeching protocol, he barged directly into Beryl's chambers.

"Queen Beryl!"

The tactician turned to the intrusion and frowned. "I am not Queen… not yet, Jadeite."

"Haa! Of course." The young man bowed even lower. "Not until you've managed to brainwash Prince Endymion."

There was a rush of high heels across the stone floor. The lone shitennou was lifted off the ground by long fingers boasting longer fingernails. A harsh slap echoed off the room's walls.

Beryl released Jadeite, and the man too eagerly fell to the floor in a prostrate position. "My deepest apologies, my… Beryl. I meant, until Endymion falls in love with you."

The tactician regarded the shitennou coolly. "What do you want? I'm overdue to meet that aberrant Princess and her little senshi."

"That is exactly what has brought me to you. I've come to let you know that I observed Serenity and Mars outside their suite in a rather… compromising position." Jadeite chanced a hopeful glance at Beryl, who only regarded him with icy eyes and arms crossed over her chest.

"That is not Serenity, you fool."

"Wh… what?"

"It is Sailor Venus disguised, and Mars is her little pet."

"This is deception!" Jadeite shouted, his expression falling into a snarl. "An affront to the Earth!" The youngest leader of the Earth jumped to his feet, his hand gripping the hilt of an ornate sword at his belt. "We should attack!"

"Soon, Jadeite." The tactician smiled slowly. "Very soon."

* * *

"They're here." Kunzite announced.

Beryl heard the click-clack of heels hurrying in her direction. A phantom pain wedged above the bridge of her nose, the tactician forced herself to open her eyes and pull her fingers from her temple. She summoned as much strength as she could to stand tall.

"Good morning, Princess Serenity, Mars." Her words were like an oil slick as she turned to them "I've taken the liberty of setting up different meetings for today. I figured that Mars and several of the shitennou might like to meet separately to discuss tactics and warfare and the like," she smiled at the Princess, "you know, _boring_ stuff."

"Ah." Serenity replied with a strained smile. "Of course."

"In the meantime, you and I can discuss more about mending the relationship between Earth and the Moon. Endymion will join us shortly."

The taller woman nearly dwarfing her, Beryl put an arm around Serenity's shoulders and began turning her down a hallway as the two shitennou stepped closer to Mars. The crimson warrior narrowed her eyes. The Princess caught her worried glance and offered a subtle wink and a discreet, if upside down "v" in her direction. Mars was unconvinced, and her amethyst eyes followed Minako until she was out of sight.

"Shall we proceed, Lady Mars?"

The Martian examined Kunzite's cold smile as he gestured to the meeting room they'd occupied the day before. Reluctantly, she entered through the threshold.

* * *

"This is dangerous. You shouldn't have come here. I'm surprised your guardians allowed it."

Endymion's actions belied his words. He pulled Princess Serenity closer, burying his nose in her hair. Affecting a standard human's appearance, Serenity's golden locks were loose and parted to the side to hide the golden crescent mark at her forehead. Her disguise, when accompanied with a commoner's outfit was very effective.

She chose not to reply to Endymion's concern. Her attention wandered to the three-quarters full orb glowing dimly in the blue afternoon sky. "You can see the Moon even during the day here?"

"Only sometimes." Endymion said, following her gaze. "The Moon is so much a part of human life on Earth. Whether or not my people realize it."

"Hmm?" Serenity asked lazily as she rested her head on Endymion's chest. The rose garden they lounged in had a calming effect.

"Without the Moon, what would the Earth be? So much of this planet is dependant on the Moon. Our tides and our weather patterns rotate around it. Our animals depend on the Moon's influence, and even humans do."

The Princess lifted her head to look up at her Prince. "And you as well, Endymion?"

His dark eyes were warm and a soft smile touched Endymion's lips. "It is more than the Moon itself that affects my emotions, Serenity."

The Princess smiled as the Prince of the Earth captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

* * *

Nephrite pushed yet another useless printout in front of Mars.

"This is a briefing on the details of a skirmish led by Zoicite's European forces against Jadeite's Eastern forces before our planet became unified. It shows excellent skill in capture and evasion. In fact, if you turn to page fifty six," He paused when the Martian glanced at her chronometer. He smiled slowly. She may be some great elemental warrior, but as far as he was concerned, she was just another woman in the end.

"My apologies, Lady Mars. I do not mean to bore you."

The Martian frowned. The shitennou _was_ boring, but it wasn't just their outdated tactics and technologically antiquated weaponry that caused her to lose her attention. It was her senses, or more importantly, the lack thereof, that continuously threw her off.

Something was wrong, but as it had been with most of her stay on Earth, her spiritual senses were far too clouded to pinpoint the source of her unease.

Kicking his feet off the table's top with a flourish, she saw Kunzite rise languidly from the corner of her eye. Nephrite seemed to take this as a cue and his words dwindled. He fidgeted. Kunzite smiled darkly.

It set Rei on edge, for their body language was as telling as her senses should have been.

Kunzite slowly walked around the table. A few chairs down from Mars, he leaned casually against the table's edge and crossed one ankle over the other. Metal against metal was a silken scream as he slowly unsheathed his sword and made a show of examining his reflection in it.

Much to his displeasure, Mars remained unmoved.

"They say you're an excellent warrior," he said with no small amount of amusement in his voice, "but then, I don't put much stock in anything I hear or anyone I see from the Moon Kingdom. So why don't you be a good little girl now, and instead of getting in over your head, just surrender to us?"

Kunzite sneered. "You'll make an _excellent_ bargaining chip against the Moon Kingdom."

Mars looked up at him with flat, amethyst eyes. "Are you quite done yet?" The elder shitennou's eyes widened. Mars checked her chronometer again casually. "You know, I could have fried you on the spot when you unsheathed your sword, but it was _much_ more enjoyable to listen to you make the total fool out of yourself."

"You…" Kunzite snarled. The affront was too much to his wounded ego. He lunged forward, swinging his blade wildly.

His sword was deflected by a burning mandala adapted on the spot as a shield, sparing the Martian time enough to launch herself from her seat and affect a defensive position from a safer distance from both men.

"Fire." Kunzite spat, patting at the singed front of his general's jacket.

Mars backed up slowly, keeping both men squarely in her vision. Kunzite was clearly the more aggressive and seasoned warrior of the two, but she kept Nephrite in her sights as well, weighing her options of attacking one at the risk of opening herself to the other.

The two shitennou shared a knowing glance. Mars anticipated their actions. The men rushed forward, both with swords raised. Mars shot a ball of fire at Nephrite, throwing him to the side, and met Kunzite's sword head on. The two locked blades and they engaged in a battle of wills.

"We should have expected as much from Venus' _pet_." The leader of the shitennou spat. Mars narrowed dangerous eyes. The comment could have been double-edged. Did he know about Venus's disguise?

"Venus?" Kunzite repeated. "She's your _weakness_, isn't she?"

He laughed, cutting off a scathing remark attempted by the Martian. "Then tell me, what would you do if the darkness tainted your light?"

Mars pushed against Kunzite's sword and skirted back several steps. A burning mandala surrounded her, as much a shield to protect her as a physical manifestation of her anger. "You son of a-"

"Now now, don't be upset with _me_. It's Beryl who's attempting to do that to her right now, not-"

She'd heard enough. Her flame bow, gripped tightly in her gloved hand, burned its image into her retina. It was a second's time before she let loose a flame sniper, screaming through the air in a rippling heat wave. She lamented the fact that it hit the wrong side of Kunzite's chest to kill him outright, but was still vindicated as he crumpled to the ground in pain to extinguish the fire.

But by the time she felt the intrusion into her shield behind her, it was too late.

Mars suppressed a scream and turned to Nephrite, his hand ablaze from where it had penetrated her burning mandala. She released the attack's remainder on the second shitennou. The ethereal flames ghosted over his body and with a panicked scream, he dropped to the ground to roll the fire out of existence.

She had to hurry. The shitennou were injured, but Mars knew all too well that the strength of her attacks, markedly diminished for having used two powerful attacks at once, wouldn't be enough to completely stop them.

Reaching behind her, Mars grunted. With a tortured yank, she pulled the dagger out of her lower back.

* * *

"A rose garden?"

"It is Endymion's favorite place." Beryl's previous sneer slowly morphed into a soft smile at the mention of the Prince. "He is not due to meet us for another hour, but I thought we might catch him here… early."

It wasn't just the tender smile that faded back into an ugly frown, but Beryl's emotions themselves. The feeling was so poignant that it made Minako queasy, but not so badly as the turn her stomach took at what she saw next.

"Serenity…" The name of her Princess was a fleeting breath. There was no use clinging to their disguises –any longer. The Princess may have done an excellent job disguising herself as an Earthling, but it was her lip lock with Prince Endymion that gave her true identity away immediately.

The Prince of the Earth and the Princess of the Moon froze, experiencing that same stomach wrenching moment of cold understanding. Endymion grabbed Serenity's shoulders and shoved the small woman behind him, before standing tall before her.

Several times, Beryl looked from the woman disguised as Serenity to Serenity disguised as a human woman, and only then did she see the others, two women at opposite ends of the courtyard. _'Guards?' _A brunette with long, loose hair and a blunette with short hair tied into a low ponytail began rushing towards the Princess and Endymion. Green and blue glows surrounded them respectively, and two senshi stood guard on either side of Serenity.

"Jupiter, Mercury?" Minako's voice was a ghost of its normal self. Surprise then turned to sheer anger as all the pieces clicked into place.

Minako stole a glance at Beryl. Betrayal. It rolled off the tactician in painful waves. Denial was there, too. The woman suspected that she'd never really stood a chance with Endymion, but to have it thrown in her face like this…

Minako didn't have Rei's extra-sensory powers, but she would have sworn she'd felt the stirrings of dark energy. She looked back to her two senshi, waiting for her command.

"What are you waiting for!?" Minako suddenly snapped. She was confused at the turn of events, she was mad at her warriors, but for the moment, all she could do was lead all those players until her Princess was safe. "Run, _now_!"

Jupiter and Mercury took to their heels, sandwiching the Princess between their bodies and protectively ushering her away. Endymion skirted sideways on his feet, staying close to the women while affording backwards glances towards Beryl and Minako.

The tactician grabbed Minako by an arm with a strength that shouldn't have been possible for her size. Cerulean eyes wavered in the intensity of dark orbs that kept threatening to look back towards Endymion's fleeing form. It was obvious that Beryl wanted to pursue Endymion, but something was keeping her fulfilling her desire.

"You… you knew all along that I wasn't Serenity, didn't you?" Minako asked flatly.

"You people of Moon… so simple." Beryl chuckled.

"What is this?" Minako asked. "This darkness." Looking into Beryl's dark, clouded eyes, she tried for demanding, but sounded frightened.

"You can feel her, can't you?"

"Her?"

"Metallia."

"Metallia?" Minako asked. "Is she the one controlling you?"

Beryl laughed lightly. "I see you've learned much during your stay here despite our attempts to hinder your progress. I should have expected as much from you, Venus."

Minako frowned and tugged her arm out of Beryl's icy grasp. "Then our presumptions were correct."

"Close, little girl, close. Metallia doesn't _control_ me. She helps me. And she can help _you_, too."

"I'm not so foolish as to think this _Metallia_ wouldn't reap more than she plans to sow. What did she promise you that leads you to believe such rubbish?"

"Endymion." Her gaze lingered on the empty rose garden.

"Endymion?"

Beryl only sneered. "Anything you want, Venus, name it and it's yours."

Minako's hands balled into fists. "I've already got everything I could possibly want."

"You mean Mars?" Beryl asked languidly, the name sliding off her tongue. "Oh, no, little girl. You see, _I_ have Mars."

Cerulean eyes hardened. Minako's entire body flinched as the tactician stepped towards her.

"Kunzite and Nephrite are in possession of her right now, in fact." Beryl smiled. "As we speak, she could be being turned to our causes by those _men_."

A golden glow enveloped Minako's body. Her chain was alive in her gloved palm even before she was fully Venus, but a certain other senshi beat her to the chase.

"Rei!"

One arm around the tactician's shoulders, Mars smirked and pressed a bloody dagger to the soft skin of Beryl's neck. "Sorry I'm late." She said causally.

"Mars." Beryl spat. "How-"

The Martian applied the slightest amount of pressure, and the razor sharp blade drew a thin line of blood across Beryl's white neck. Mars was nearly surprised to find it was red in color.

"I'd _love_ to stay and chat, but I'm rather short on time." Rei growled through clenched teeth.

She'd have loved to kill the tactician right then and there. In fact, her Martian instincts _demanded_ she do so on several different levels. However, despite having a weapon to her enemy's throat, she had the distinct sensation that somehow, she had the lower hand. A brief glance to Venus' hesitant eyes reminded her of the political implications. Her rationale won this struggle, the repercussions outweighing her savage desires.

With a snarl, Mars pulled the blade back, cocked her arm, and slammed the butt of its hilt into the back of Beryl's head. The human woman crumpled to the grassy ground bonelessly. She'd have one hell of a headache in a few hours, but she'd be alive.

"Rei!" Venus ran to her lover, but felt herself being pushed away, held at an arm's length.

"It was hard enough for me to find _your_ aura. It'll be even harder for me to find where the others have run off to."

Venus nodded sharply and lowered her hands so as not to siphon the Martian's energy by touching her.

"We have to get out of here." Mars said hurriedly. "I'm being followed. You lead, I'll direct you."

"Rei?"

"Just stay in front of me and go!"

The crimson warrior directed the Venusian through the myriad of palace corridors, quickly finding that though the auras of her comrades were faint in this dark place, the one she could consistently trace was the Prince's. She focused on that bright, white light like a beacon to a ship lost at sea. Shouting directions at her partner, increasing her volume when the booted heels of the shitennou behind them echoed menacingly in her ears as the men began to catch up to them, she spurred the golden warrior forward.

"There's Endymion." Venus breathed in relief.

Mars fought a wave of exhaustion but felt a surge of relief as they neared the Prince of Earth, who stood before a palace exit in a rigid, waiting position.

"The shitennou are right behind us, Kunzite and Nephrite." Venus warned.

Endymion's dark eyes narrowed and he pointed to the Martian. "Mars, your blee-"

"Zoicite and Jadeite are right behind the others, too." Mars said firmly, avoiding Minako's glare that said, _'You're keeping me in the dark, here.' _

"Go. I'll slow them down." The Prince said coolly. "Serenity and the others are waiting for you in the shuttle right outside."

Venus nodded and swung the doors open. The small shuttle that hovered several feet off the ground was the first thing to make her smile in what felt like far too long. She pulled Mars out the door with her and took several of the steps in a single stride.

"Venus!"

The golden warrior paused and looked back up towards the Prince.

"Don't wait for me, alright?"

Venus' brow furrowed. "Endymion-"

"Just go!"

Venus found Mars nearly pushing her down the steps, and she had to scramble to keep her feet underneath her as they took the stairs nearly four at a time. Reaching the launch pad, Venus vaulted her body into the shuttle's open door gracefully while Mars threw herself inside messily.

Three sets of eyes looked to their two warriors.

"Warp speed _now_, Mercury." Venus barked, her fingers commanding the shuttle door to slide shut with a firm suction.

Serenity reached forward towards the leader of her senshi. "But Endy-"

"_Now!" _

Mercury spun at the helm. Her fingers flew over the keypad controls rapidly and the shuttle's engines roared to life. The gravity system in the small craft minimized the g-force on their bodies as they were launched into the blue sky and through the stratosphere beyond.

In the darkness of space, the warp engines disengaged and the impulse engines took over in a jerky forward jolt. In the sudden silence, Serenity's sobs became nearly unbearable. Mercury and Jupiter spun from the pilot and copilot seats, trying to console their Princess.

"Serenity," Venus nearly spat. The watery blue eyes of her Princess turned in her direction and a sob stuck in the Princess' throat. The Venusian refused to be swayed by the desperate, unspoken plea she found there. "I demand that you pull yourself together right now, and tell me _exactly_ what brought you down to the surface."

Derailing her efforts, Venus felt a head resting on her shoulder. Feeling the steady pressure relying more and more and on her strength to stay upright, Venus turned to the slumping body in the small seat beside her.

It was Mars. Only, she was deathly quiet, and turning very pale.

The Venusian found her interest in Serenity's story wane in comparison.

"Rei?"

"You can scold me later, Mina." Mars' voice was a pained whisper. A weak, crimson light surrounded her body and Rei completely pitched forward into confused, but waiting arms.

The contact made Venus aware of two things simultaneously. Firstly, through all her times siphoning the Martian's senses, she had never felt Rei so terribly frightened and confused, and secondly, her hands, where they rested on Mars' back, were covered in blood.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Please leave a review? Either the last chapter kinda sucked or no one really felt like reviewing. In either case, let me know what you all like and dislike. Feedback, please!

Neuro: Yes, I was going for the "oh shi-" effect with Endymion in that scene, even if it did make it slightly less believable. The reasons the youma are mostly found on the poles of the planets is mostly due to the fact that it's an inhospitable area where they're likely to remain undetected – a good place to launch attacks from.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 12: Antithesis to the Light

The Prince's dark eyes narrowed. No longer with blades held to his prone body, he drew himself to his full height. "I will not apologize for my actions." He insisted. "You have held sway over my court far too long, Beryl."

"And you think you can change that now?"

Endymion found he couldn't meet Beryl's gaze. The woman began to pace a lazy circle around him.

"Too long have you had your head in the clouds, dreaming of the Princess of the Moon while your people have sat sequestered in this foolish treaty, stagnating here while the planets of the rest of the solar system advance and reap the benefits of their alliance with the Moon."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Endymion asked bitterly. "When you came into my service three years ago, what made you come to hate the Moon Kingdom with such intensity?"

Beryl chuckled softly. She paused, her fingers touching her temple as though massaging a distant pain. "I hate their light."

"Their… light?"

"All that is perfect and beautiful and pure. A mockery of the emotions humans feel. Metallia made me see, she made me see what they really are."

"Metallia?"

"She is the antithesis to the light of the Moon, though her planet burns brighter than that tiny satellite ever could."

"Then this power is controlling you."

Beryl snorted. "Spoken like a true Moonie, Endymion. She does not control me, but opens my eyes to the reality of the corruptness of the Moon peoples."

The Prince stamped his booted foot on the floor. "The shittenou may believe all this rubbish that you've been feeding them, but I won't. The dissent on this planet is born from you. All of this is about _you_."

That cocky sneer faded. Beryl found herself looking at her hands. Her voice became a whisper. "It was supposed to be about _you_, Endymion."

The Prince had sensed the fundamental shift in the tactician. She was no longer the cold, unfeeling woman she'd become. Instead, she was vulnerable, hopeful, so much the way she was years ago. "Beryl?"


	12. Chapter 12

A Single Voice  
Chapter 12: Antithesis to the Light  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The throne room of Edo Palace had become… darker of late.

Endymion only fully realized this change when he found himself forced to his knees on the stone floor of the dais. The shitennou, who had been his comrades and fellow leaders not so long ago, stood around him with their swords pointed in his direction. The throne itself, so often a place he frequented, was now occupied with Beryl's unyielding form.

Casually leaning to one side, her elbow supporting her on one of the armrests while her legs were crossed at the other end of the seat, the tactician waved the shitennou away.

Hesitant eyes, especially from the youngest of the men, expressed their displeasure. She shot them a scathing glance, and reluctantly, the Prince's former guardians sheathed their weapons and took several steps away from Endymion.

"You may leave." She said to them curtly.

The men obediently followed her command, with the exception of Jadeite who departed the slowest, all the while casting angry blue eyes in Endymion's direction.

Slowly, Beryl stood. Long fingers smoothed out the front of her dark dress. She smiled languidly at the Prince. "I would have you on your knees like that always, Endymion."

Endymion's dark eyes narrowed. No longer with swords held to his prone body, he drew himself to his full height. "I will not apologize for my actions." He said. "You have held sway over my court far too long, Beryl."

"And you think you can change that now?"

Endymion found he couldn't meet Beryl's gaze. The woman began to pace a lazy circle around him, the heels of her shoes echoing loudly off the stone walls.

"Too long have you had your head in the clouds, dreaming of the Princess of the Moon while your people have sat sequestered, stuck in this foolish treaty, stagnating here on Earth while the planets of the rest of the solar system advance and reap the benefits of their alliance with the Moon."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Endymion asked bitterly. "When you came into my service three years ago, what made you come to hate the Moon Kingdom with such intensity?"

Beryl chuckled softly. She paused, her fingers touching her temple as though massaging a distant pain. "I hate their light."

"Their… light?"

"All that is perfect and beautiful and pure. A mockery of the emotions we humans feel. Metallia made me see, she made me see what the Lunarians _really_ are."

"Metallia?"

"She is the antithesis to the light of the Moon, though her planet burns brighter than that tiny satellite ever could."

"Then this power is controlling you."

Beryl snorted. "Spoken like a true Lunarian, Endymion. She does not _control_ me, but opens my eyes to the reality of the corruptness of the Moon peoples."

The Prince stamped his booted foot on the floor. "The shitennou may believe all this rubbish that you've been feeding them, but I won't. The dissent on this planet is born from you. All of this is about _you_."

Her cocky sneer faded and Beryl found herself looking at her hands. When she finally spoke, her voice was a whisper. "It was supposed to be about _you_, Endymion."

The Prince had sensed the fundamental shift in the tactician. She was no longer the cold, unfeeling woman she'd become. Instead, she was vulnerable, hopeful, so much the way she was years ago. "Beryl?"

"Everything was supposed to be for you, Endymion. Everything." The tactician paced slightly, her gaze cast downwards to her fidgeting hands. "For the past three years since I'd been promoted as your aide, all I ever wanted was for you to acknowledge me."

"I always acknowledged you, Beryl. You've been an excellent aide, and I always reminded you of it."

"Not like that!" The woman seemed to recoil at the sound of her own voice. "Not like that." She repeated in a whisper.

Endymion looked away knowingly. He was not so blind. "Beryl, I-"

"Do you really love Serenity that much?" The tactician interrupted quietly, finally making eye contact again.

Endymion sighed. "My heart has always belonged to Serenity. Maybe I could have loved you once, before this… Metallia corrupted you. I'm sorry, Beryl."

"As am I." Though her dark eyes watered, Beryl took the stinging rejection with grace and stood tall. "I only hope that when Metallia claims me again and you refuse our offer once more, she'll take mercy on you."

Endymion stepped forward. Beryl flinched at the soft touch of his hand on her shoulder. "I thought you said she wasn't controlling you."

"I lied." She said with a wavering smile. "I'm weak."

"I know you can fight this. Beryl, this isn't you. This isn't what you want."

The tactician's tentative smile tugged into a bitter sneer. Her eyes hardened. "What _I_ want?" She snarled.

"Beryl…" But Endymion knew it was already too late.

Sensing the reemergence of that dark power, the shitennou returned to their leader's aid, rushing into the room with swords drawn.

"I want you to leave this place." Beryl growled, fighting Metallia's control. She had the ability to take his life in that moment, and Endymion knew it. "I want you to leave the Earth." Beryl proclaimed, "And in your wake, I will become Queen."

"Queen Beryl!" The shitennou dropped to their knees in reverence.

Beryl sauntered closer, examining Endymion with a detached gaze. "Or would you be so brave as to play the martyr? Give your life right here and now so as not to betray your planet?" Endymion remained silent. Beryl arched an eyebrow. "No? Then you would leave and betray your people who already think so little of you. Save yourself and run back to your Moon Princess with your tail between your legs?"

Endymion's hands balled into tight fists. "It's not running away if I plan on fixing this mess you've created."

"Oh, Endymion, you've seen _nothing_ yet."

The exiled Prince of the Earth spun on his heel, his cape fluttering over his shoulder as he strode to the heavy wooden door. His hand paused on the familiar latch and he turned back boldly. The newly appointed Queen regarded him coolly.

"Beryl, I promise, I will find a way to save you."

The Queen of the Earth snorted loudly before tipping her head back and laughing.

* * *

Rei lay on her stomach, enveloped in white satin sheets that were cool against her naked skin.

She felt Minako's nude form spooned against her back. Despite the aches and pains that filled her consciousness, her disjointed mind drew a tangent that even Minako would be proud of, and she smirked to herself. Sleeping in the nude had been one Venusian custom that had taken some getting used to, but it was one that she would never want to do without now that she was accustomed to it.

Then, the memories hit her nearly as hard as Jadeite's dagger had, and the time for flippant observations was over.

'_If I'm here instead of sick bay, I must already be forgiven.' _

"How long have I-" Rei began, her voice hoarse from misuse.

"Only a day."

"_Only?"_

"Shh."

Rei felt Minako shift her body so that she was leaning over Rei's back. Silently, her head came to rest on Rei's shoulder. Gentle fingers danced along her side in a soothing motion, drawing the Priestess' attention away from the itching pain of her healing wound. Mars' senshi strength had mostly completed the job, but she was still mentally and physically weakened.

Rei basked in this tender touch and she soon found herself back in the space between dreams and consciousness when a very distinct sound of sniffling shattered her exhaustion like the thinnest ice.

"You're crying."

"I am not." Minako sniffled.

The Priestess rolled her body towards her lover, doing her best to keep a wince from her expression as she eased her weight onto her back. She didn't fool her commander, and the tears that pooled at the corners of Minako's eyes spilled forth.

"Mina," Rei reached out, pushing long, golden hair over the Venusian's shoulder. Her fingers cupped Minako's chin, but the woman turned her head away sharply.

"I should have trusted you!" Minako tried for anger, but tapped into desperation. Blindly flailing, she threw a weak punch in Rei's direction. The Martian caught the shaking fist with an open palm and spun her grip to encircle Minako's wrist, pulling the woman back down to her gently.

The Venusian settled with sobbing against Rei's shoulder. "You were right, and I shouldn't have let Beryl separate us."

"Shh." This time, it was the Martian's turn to ease the other woman. "I didn't know for sure. You were right, my senses were clouded ever since we'd landed on that planet."

"But you tried to tell me, and my pride wouldn't have it." Minako's breath hitched in her throat and she swallowed a sob. "What kind of partner… what kind of _leader_ does that?"

"Minako, not every partnership is without dispute. Its only inevitable that two women as opinionated as you and I would argue once in awhile." Rei chuckled. "Honestly, it's a wonder we haven't _killed_ each other yet."

Rei's gentle laugh caused the slightest of smiles to tug at Minako's lips. The Martian traced the corner of her lover's mouth with a thumb. "And every leader has to make their own decisions, even if they're wrong once in awhile."

"But that was a terrible mistake to have made. I put both of us in great danger."

Rei snorted. "I bested two shitennou _and_ a crazy woman being controlled by a dark power. I fail to see where it was _that_ dangerous."

Minako had to decency to feign offence. "I could have taken Beryl myself, thank you very much, had you not _interrupted_ me."

"Well excuse me, _Princess_, for protecting what was mine."

Minako smacked her lips. "Typical Martian response."

"Got you to lighten up, didn't I?"

Minako grabbed Rei's wrist where her hand cupped her face and laid a lingering kiss to Rei's palm. But then, her smile fell. She seemed to consider her words very carefully.

"Rei, I want revenge against Beryl."

"Revenge?" The Priestess asked, not liking to hear such a dark word from Minako's lips.

"She seems to enjoy tormenting me in particular." Minako admitted.

"Don't you see, Minako? She feeds off your hate. It makes her powerful. She _wants_ you to lose your cool. And when you refuse to be swayed by her, you're a better leader than her because of it."

"A better leader?"

Rei smiled sweetly. "You're a fierce leader, Minako, but you have a gentle heart. It's why I love you. You have to be stronger than Beryl. Don't give into your hate."

Minako offered Rei a crooked grin. "I thought I was the empathic one."

Rei snorted. "I thought I was the possessive one."

Cerulean eyes hardened. "I still want to get back at her for what she did to you."

"Possessiveness doesn't suit you." Rei said quietly as she lifted her torso from the pillows. "Leave that to me."

And then, the Martian claimed posession of the Venusian's lips.

* * *

The Queen of the Earth attended an empty and silent court.

She'd long since excused the shitennou from her presence, and for the moment, she couldn't care less what evil they were preparing in her name.

"Not in my name." She spat bitterly. "In _Metallia's_ name."

'_Now, Beryl, that's not fair. We are one in the same, you and I.'_

"Metallia." Beryl nearly whimpered. She collapsed to her knees, not far from where the man she loved so deeply had done the same. "I don't want this anymore." She cried weakly.

'_You forget yourself, my child.' _The voice in Beryl's mind dripped with darkness. _'Do you remember how weak, how insignificant you were when you first stumbled across me, three years ago?'_

Beryl ground her teeth as an image was dredged from her memories and pushed into her the forefront of her mind by a dark hand that ghosted through her thoughts. Tendrils of that darkness threatened to taint even the deepest recesses of her soul with that touch. She shut her eyes, but knew this human reaction could not fool Metallia, and she still saw that which she tried to avoid…

She saw herself, three years past. An up and coming tactician, having made a name for herself by helping to unite the previously warring factions of Earth, she was assigned a dangerous task to test her worthiness of a position for which she had applied;

Aide to Endymion, Prince of Earth.

Her tiny shuttle shivered in the heat of the Sun's corona. Metal warped and bent, but the tactician pushed the small craft to its limits, gritting her teeth as her fingers played across her diagnostic equipment, eager to fulfill her mission to analyze the recent surge in sunspot activity and identify its threat to her planet as quickly as possible so as to escape from that hellish place.

Only a little more… she eased the thruster engines gently to get just a little closer…

Frantically flashing lights suddenly accompanied the urgent beeping she'd reluctantly ignored. There was a creak. A groan. One wall of her craft bowed inwards. Her eyes shot up from her work to her control panel. Her fingers abandoned her diagnostic tools.

"No good," she furiously tapped at the control panels above her head, "life support is about to-"

If the implosion made a sound, she couldn't hear it for the roar of the Sun's angry fires.

"But how-" Beryl stared with wide eyes. Her corporeal form hovered within the hazy corona. Sunspots surged, ghosting harmlessly over her unprotected body.

'_It was I who saved you, my child.'_

A voice that was as dark as night and as cold as ice slipped into her brain like a midnight burglar. Beryl had to fight the urge to retch, to scream, to curl up and simply cry. The dark tendrils of the voice's incorporeal fingers threaded paths through her brain, absorbing what could be used to its advantage.

"Who are you?"

'_You do not know?'_ The voice possessed a laugh that made Beryl's skin crawl. _'I am you.'_ There was a snort. _'Human, your kind has awoken me. And it will be your kind that will aide in my release from this forsaken planet so that I may reign over this solar system once more.'_

Beryl found her sense and sensibilities, her very _self_, waver under the dark tendrils that invaded her mind. "What do you want of me?" She attempted disinterest.

'_What do _you_ want of _me_?'_ The darkness echoed. _'Tell me that which you think is impossible, and I will grant it to you.'_

"What I want…" Beryl's dark eyes glazed over. Her body went limp. "I want… Endymion."

The fateful vision of her first meeting with Metallia was mercifully stripped from Beryl's sight. Her strength gave out, and she pitched forward, catching herself on the stone floor before the throne with her elbows, and she stifled a retching sob. But Metallia wasn't done with her yet.

'_I gave you my power, that day, and for three years you did my bidding, waiting for the right opportunity to reap your prize.'_ The voice snorted. _'You thought Endymion would come around on his own, instead of utilizing my immense powers to your own ends. Foolish human! I will not break the terms of our deal due to your own stupidity.'_

"But Metallia-"

'_I will offer you more power.'_

"More… power?"

'_I have been holding back, but I feel your pitiful human shell may be able to handle more of my strength than I had previously given you.'_

"But…"

'_And with this power, you could crush the Moon Kingdom, crush the Princess that stole your Prince.'_

"Crush… her." Beryl's eyes went blank.

'_And with this power, you could make Endymion yours beyond your wildest imagination.'_

"Make him… mine?"

'_Yes.'_ Metallia hissed.

* * *

"So you're saying you don't know why you did it?"

Serenity shifted under the combined glares of all her senshi. She reluctantly shook her head.

Playing so many roles all at once, Minako; the Princess' friend, the senshi's leader, and general inquisitioner, paced around Serenity's seat restlessly. "You just decided that you _had_ to see Endymion, and somehow convinced Makoto-chan and Ami-chan into spiriting you to the Earth's surface?"

"I can't explain it," Serenity found her hands extremely interesting, "something in me just insisted it was the right thing to do. Even though… it seems to have caused nothing but pain and hardship."

Haruka scowled. It had taken the combined effort of both Michiru and Makoto to keep her from nearly throttling her Princess when the transport shuttle had come back with the urgent message from their runaway Princess and her two delinquent senshi that they were returning from Earth with a botched mission, Minako, and a badly injured Rei.

Curiously enough, it had been Minako herself, despite having her mission and her very life compromised, who had taken most of this in stride.

The Venusian ceased her restless pacing and leveled her gaze on her Princess for a long moment. Finally, a defeated half smile tugged at her lips. "Somehow, Serenity-chan, I want to believe that you knew what you were doing,"

Haruka issued a discontent growl that reluctantly faded when Minako shot a longing gaze in Rei's direction.

"Because if you hadn't pulled that ridiculously dangerous stunt, where would that have left Rei and I?" Minako fidgeted slightly, and stared at her hands. "We would have been separated by Beryl and the shitennou with the secret of our identities exposed without our knowledge."

All the guilt, all the self recrimination that Serenity had harbored in her watery blue eyes suddenly threatened to spill forth. "Minako-chan…"

The Princess devolved into crocodile tears and launched herself into the leader of her guard's arms. Minako couldn't help but hold the girl close. All the while, her thoughtful gaze lingered on Rei as they both seemed to consider the same thing, _'maybe there is more to Serenity's whims than meet the eye.'_

The room itself seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, as though the tension had threatened the structure's very integrity.

But it only lasted so long.

With a furrowed brow, Haruka suddenly dropped to the ground. One knee and one palm to the stone floor, she seemed to concentrate on something distant. Seconds later, Michiru and Rei leapt to their feet, albeit the latter did so slowly, her injuries hampering her movements.

Another moment later, there was a soft, but distinct rumble.

Makoto frowned. "Not thunder."

"Its from the ground." Haruka said quietly, analyzing the gentle tremor through her palm.

"Quake." Rei and Minako spoke the word simultaneously, having experienced ones of far greater magnitude during their stay on Earth.

With a disappearance as subtle as its arrival, the gentle rumbling vanished.

Haruka rose to her feet, a frown on her face. Ami stopped tapping at her computer. Her blue diagnostic screen blinked out of existence. "It has reached even here," she said quietly, "despite the magics that protect this satellite."

"Ami-chan?" Makoto asked.

"Natural disaster." The Mercurian whispered. "I've received reports from all the planets that Mother Nature seems to be reacting to the increased activity in sunspots, resulting in increased natural disasters."

"So, the link between the Sun and the Earth is conclusive." Minako said uncertainly.

"Yes, as well as the link between the Sun and the other planets." Ami looked to Minako. "The reports have piled up on yours and Rei-san's desks while you were on Ea-" Ami swallowed her words at the quiet whimper from her Princess, "while you were on your mission." She amended. "The planets closest to the third planet - Venus and Mars, have experienced a marked increase in natural disasters in just the past several days. Venus' volcanoes have experienced an unprecedented surge of activity, and dust storms on Mars have reached epic proportions."

The Venusian and the Martian narrowed their eyes. Rei began to pace restlessly.

"What of Mercury," Michiru asked, "the planet closest to the sun?"

Ami avoided Michiru's gaze. "The temperature increase has driven our population to underground bunkers designed for such massive fluctuations in the Sun. The gas giant _can_ be unpredictable. My people are not unprepared."

"But this is no coincidence, is it?" Haruka spat.

"No, Haruka-san. I don't believe it is." Ami confirmed.

"And after all this, we're still no wiser for our next steps." Makoto drove a fist into her palm.

Minako stood tall. Her hands tightened into fists. "We wait for Beryl to make her next move. We've no other choice."

There was mixed reaction to their leader's declaration. Rei's lips formed a thin, white line, Haruka slammed her open palm against a pillar, and Makoto turned her back on the group. But it was Serenity who was the first to see the door swing open.

"Endymion!"

The legs of a chair screamed across the flagstone floor as Serenity jumped to her feet. She was across the room in split seconds, but Haruka was faster. The Uranian stepped in front of her Princess and blocked her, while leveling her jewel-encrusted sword at the Earthling. Endymion skidded to a halt, his cape fluttering before him, threateningly close to Haruka's blade.

"Traitor," she barked, "you abandoned your peoples to flee to the Moon?"

"I've been exiled." Endymion spat. "Beryl has banished me from my lands."

"Banished you?" Minako asked, "then that makes her-"

"Queen." Endymion confirmed.

"Uncontested?" Haruka prodded.

"The shitennou?" Endymion tried for a laugh, but managed a desperate squeak. "They've been corrupted by Beryl's power long ago."

"Metallia." Minako spat, the name reluctantly familiar on her tongue.

Endymion nodded. "And the people of Earth? I'm afraid they've been corrupted long ago as well."

Haruka's sword titled slightly, its edge catching the room's light and reflecting it brightly. "And yet you seem to have escaped this corruption."

Serenity poked her head from around Haruka's protective form. Endymion's expression softened. "I think… the only thing that has kept me untainted from Metallia's darkness… is _her_."

Serenity stepped forward, trying to skirt around her tall protector, and Haruka stepped to the side to put her behind her once again, her eyes never leaving Endymion. "I still can't have you staying here and compromising the Princess' safety. You're too much of a liability."

"With all due respect, Haruka-san, _no one_ is safe anymore."

The Uranian's hazel eyes hardened, and in Endymion's dark gaze, she knew he was right. Reluctantly, she lowered her sword.

With the threat gone, the former Prince of the Earth shouldered his way past the proud guardian and enveloped Serenity in his arms.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Thank you _everyone_ for the wonderful reception of the last chapter. All your comments are a huge encouragement. Please continue to let me know what you think!

This chapter probably answered a lot of questions that have been hanging around for the past several months, and obviously, things are going to get much (much) worse before they get better, so keep hanging in there! We've just passed the halfway point. :)

Blue wolf – hope the whole 'Minako nursing Rei' scene hit the nail on the head. You also alluded to a plot device that I'll be using later, but I'm going to remain hush-hush for now.  
Krampus – _yes_, this is AU. 'Nuking the whole damn planet' aside, the Titanic's still going to hit an iceberg, but the course of history's already been altered, so don't expect a canon ending in the slightest.  
Tenkaichi – thanks for that! I always worry that my scenes are short and disconnected from one another. I'm glad the separation seems to make sense to you.  
Hanyou – sometimes I think a device like a nearly mortal injury is only cause for the inevitable 'being nursed back to health scene'. Would you say? .  
Haruka's Knight – yes and yes! The Earth is _so_ going on a rampage soon.  
LicketySplat – does Serenity's need to travel to Earth seem a little clearer now? In addition to creating havoc with her presence and inadvertently helping Minako and Rei to escape, I think she's starting to learn more about who she is, and what powers she might have.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 13: The Darkness Corrupts

One amethyst eye cracked open swiftly. Rei's breath caught in her throat and she focused on her sense of hearing. It was faint; soft, mournful piano notes carried on a cool breeze. She realized she was depending on the wrong sense, and reached out instead with her spiritual abilities.

Suddenly, the piano's song became much louder. It was accompanied with a message - less a worded command and more a thought embedded in the tune. All Rei knew for certain was that if she didn't obey its call, harm would come to the one she cared for most. She wasn't sure how, but she knew it was all too possible. And that was not acceptable.

Rei slipped from Minako's bed. Her nakedness was instantly clothed by Mars' fuku.

Sensing the surge of her lover's transformation, Minako opened sleepy eyes. In her sleep-fogged confusion, it seemed as though Mars' back was to her, her sword drawn protectively where the crimson warrior stood guard at the foot of the bed. She blinked again, and only Rei stood before her. Perhaps her eyes had deceived her.

"Rei?"

"Shh." The Martian leaned down to plant a light kiss on Minako's forehead. She busied herself with pulling the thin sheet closer to the Venusian's nude form. "Can't sleep. Going to make some tea. Go back to sleep."

"But-"

"For me?" Rei asked. It pained her to deceive Minako, but a simple, tangible, irrepressible fear overrode her guilt.

"'K." Minako mumbled tiredly. "Love you."

The soft, crimson glow of Mars enveloped Rei once more and she smiled softly. "'More than the air I breathe." She whispered, though she knew the Venusian had already returned to sleep's embrace.

The crimson warrior didn't bother with the door.

She leapt out the window.

And she ran.


	13. Chapter 13

A Single Voice  
Chapter 13: The Darkness Corrupts  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

"Three days and nothing."

"Eh?"

"No word from the Earth. No attacks. No missions. Just silence."

Rei growled at Endymion. Her mug hit the bar a little harder than she'd intended. "Don't be so quick to jinx us. If periodic guard duty unnerves you so much, you should return to Serenity's bed."

"No," Endymion scowled and blushed hotly, avoiding Rei's scorn and Makoto's arched eyebrow, "your kingdom has been kind enough to harbor me as an exile. I would engage in your protective duties as well."

"We didn't say Beryl's silence wasn't unnerving," Makoto clarified, pausing only long enough to down the rest of her drink and to pick up her next, "but that we've learned to cherish what little time we have without that demon Queen looming over us. She may be unpredictable, but we refuse to live in fear."

"Live in fear?" Rei's words were a hoarse whisper and her body went ramrod straight, her amethyst eyes glazing over.

_Endymion and Makoto stood before her, the three of them united unexpectedly. It was cold. So cold. Yet it was the fear in her heart - tangible and dark - that was many times worse. Dark fingers reached for her, only her, and she was forced to submit to a powerful will-_

"Heeeey! What is this, boy's night out or something?"

A familiar voice accompanied a quick smack between the shoulder blades that nearly toppled Rei off her stool. She felt strong hands pulling her back into position and when she turned to look over her shoulder, she found herself staring into Haruka's hazel gaze.

The blonde retracted her hands as if she'd been burnt. "You okay?" She asked shakily. She looked to her hands in question.

Rei's senses hesitantly returned to normal. Try as she might to recapture it, the hazy vision remained elusive. She was only thankful that the Uranian hadn't touched her long enough to siphon more than a fleeting confusion of the phantom darkness she'd detected.

"Ah," the Martian barked detachedly, "I'm fine."

Haruka seemed mostly appeased with her answer and plopped her tall frame on a stool next to Rei.

"You get the note too?" Makoto asked with her arms crossed across the back of her head.

The Uranian shrugged and caught a mug of frothy amber liquid that was effortlessly slid down the counter by the barkeep. "'Be back in the morning. Going out with the girls.'" She paraphrased sourly.

"Ha!" Makoto nearly snorted a mouthful of ale up her nose. "Even Michiru-san went?"

Haruka set her half empty glass on the bar's edge and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "What's this all about, anyway?"

The Jovian seemed entranced by the motion of her ale as she tilted her glass from side to side distractedly. "One of Serenity-chan's whims. She calls it a 'slumber party'. Personally, I think she's scheming something."

Rei snorted. "When _isn't_ that woman scheming something?"

"Are we talking about Serenity-chan or Minako-chan now?" Makoto asked bemusedly.

"Both." Rei chuckled.

Haruka downed the rest of her glass' contents. "Yeah, but a _slumber party_? Then why weren't _we_ invited?"

Makoto pointed a thumb at Endymion. "To keep him company, I guess."

"Keh," the Uranian cursed, "I'm surprised Serenity's even able to go the entirety of a night without pretty boy over there."

"I'm sitting _right_ _here_ you know." Endymion grumbled into his drink.

Rei pushed the Earthling's mug back to the bar's edge. "Careful with that stuff, its not Earth beer, you know. And don't expect not to be the talk of the kingdom, after the maids have caught you in Serenity's chambers in a compromising position _twice_. Its your own damn fault."

Haruka laughed unapologetically and caught another drink as it was slid down the bar. "Well, _ladies_, looks like it really _is_ boy's night out then!"

* * *

For the number of women in attendance, there was a decidedly marked lack of sleeping materials to constitute a slumber party in the young Princess' antechamber.

"I'm surprised you're willing to spend an entire night without Endymion's company." Michiru's voice held a gentle teasing quality to it.

Serenity's quivering lip firmed and she stood tall. "Don't tease me. I'm being serious here."

Ami found her hands to be very interesting. "All kidding aside, Serenity-chan, I'm not sure that I can attack you."

Minako laid a hand on the blunette's shoulder. "You may defy your commander's order, but could you defy your Princess' in this case? It is what she's asked for."

"Mina-chan…" The Mercurian's voice teetered uncertainly.

Michiru laid a hand on Ami's other shoulder. "Ara, the Princess has a right to want to be stronger too. Does she not?"

Ami found the courage to meet Serenity's hopeful gaze.

The Princess clasped her hands before her chest. "Ami-chan, please help me be stronger so I can help protect the ones I love."

The petite blunette stood tall. Between the support of her friends and a newfound respect she found within her Princess, a gentle blue glow enveloped Ami, and Mercury nodded with a smile. "Shall we begin then, Serenity-chan?"

The Princess jumped up on shaky feet and fisted her hands tightly, allowing her senshi to size her up.

"So where do we start with her training?" Neptune asked, "What are her strengths?"

"Well… she eats real fast." Venus said.

Mercury put a finger to her chin. "She can scream real loud."

"She _does_ have quite the wail, doesn't she?" Neptune said with a nod.

"_Guys!"_ Serenity cried, then blushed when her friends laughed at the result of their setup. The Princess of the Moon blushed furiously and stuck her nose to the air. "I want to be strong like all of you!"

Venus smiled softly. Stepping before Serenity, she set her gloved hand over the smaller woman's heart. "We can, and will help you become physically stronger, Serenity-chan, but your greatest strength lies right here."

"_You have a power within you that surpasses all of theirs combined, my daughter."_

With her mother's voice serving as a gentle reminder, Serenity placed her hand atop Venus' and nodded bravely.

* * *

"I didn't know black eyes and fractured wrists were commonplace for slumber parties."

Haruka shoveled a spoonful of breakfast into her mouth while enduring a scathing glance from Minako in reprimand for her casual comment. The aforementioned bruised and battered Serenity looked away with a quivering lower lip.

The Uranian held her hands before her defensively. "Look, all I'm saying is that it's _our_ job to take those kinds of blows for her so she doesn't have to face the dangers of battle."

"Is it so terrible to want to be stronger to protect the ones you love?" The question was rhetorical, and Michiru leveled a meaningful glance at her partner.

"I guess you're right." Haruka acquiesced and then smiled charmingly at her Princess. "And I do admire your determination, koneko-chan."

Serenity puffed herself up at the Uranian's hard won praise. "I know I'll never be as strong as you, Haruka-san, but I can't sit here and do nothing while the entirety of the Moon Kingdom prepares for war."

"War." Rei snorted derisively. "The guards _have_ increased their training lately." She jabbed her fork towards the others. "It sounded like a portion of the army's night shift was practicing right outside my window all night last night."

"Oh, they do that every night," Minako explained with a wave of her hand, "You probably only noticed it because I wasn't there to distract you until the wee hours of the morning."

The Martian nearly choked on a potato slice. Makoto had the decency to slap her comrade on the back. With red cheeks, Rei downed a mouthful of water.

"Perhaps melee battle isn't best suited for you, Serenity." Eager to change the topic of conversation, Endymion examined his lover's wounds worriedly. "Perhaps swordsmanship or a long range weapon would be a better match for your skills.

"Or not." Minako cast a doubtful gaze in Endymion's direction. "Maybe let's keep her away from pointy objects and just work on her strength and simple battle tactics first, huh?"

Ami laid a supportive hand atop Serenity's. "While she heals today, she and I will study tactics and strategy. She is showing lots of skill in several areas, but lets take it slowly on her, shall we?"

"Don't take it too easy on me, Ami-chan," the Princess' voice was quiet, her eyes cast downward, "because we don't know how many more mornings we'll have to be together like this. And if I can make a difference in ensuring that I get to share my breakfasts with all of you like this for the rest of my life, I'll gladly endure any amount of training my warriors can throw at me."

* * *

Endymion woke with a start. The gauzy canopy of the expansive bed he found himself calling his own by the fact that it was Serenity's was of little comfort.

His skin crawled with a dark energy that he could only pinpoint as familiar now that he had been away from it for nearly a week.

But his eyes were heavy, and he was tempted to think himself paranoid and simply surrender to the sweet comfort of the small body he was spooned against. Serenity's comfort, even when she was fast asleep, exhausted from days of rigorous training, was a gentle boon that held its own weight. Yet, like a small insect buzzing near his ear, a distant sound nearly too quiet to hear was a constant irritation, a song he couldn't quite place but felt he ought to know.

Finally, his eyes shot open in recognition. A piano. _'Zoicite played the piano. He could use it to…'_

A horrible crash on the keys brought the distant melancholy tune to a discontent and incomplete end. Another presence, this one infinitely stronger, seemed to shoulder the incorporeal presence of the shitennou out of the way and now danced at the edge of Endymion's consciousness.

'_Endymion, return now and become my King, else I will crush your Princess.'_

'_I thought you exiled me.'_ He thought it strange that he could hear his own voice in the confines of his mind as clearly as though he was speaking.

'_I changed my mind. I want you back.'_

'_Beryl?'_

There was an eerie silence. Endymion understood far too easily that it wasn't really Beryl he was communicating with at all.

'_I don't suppose you'll give me a choice in the matter.'_

'_I don't suppose you'd like for me to crush me your Princess, then.' _

'_Metallia-'_

'_It would be so easy, you know. Child's play, just like with the shitennou. It takes remarkably little effort to possess the feeble brain of a human.'_

That was when Endymion felt that darkness he had become so accustomed to living alongside amplify, reach out, and the voice that occupied his head was no long just a voice, but a hand, ghosting through his brain, wrapping strong fingers around his thoughts, his memories, and even deeper, to his very soul.

And suddenly, Endymion was floating outside his body, watching detachedly as his hand left the warmth of the covers and gently traced the outline of Serenity's face. The hand coasted below her cheek, under her jaw. He panicked when he saw his fingers splay open across Serenity's neck and slowly close around her soft skin…

'_Stop!' _

His hand jerked open. His consciousness was rammed into his head once more. Metallia laughed. The dissonant sound echoed between his eardrums.

'_I see you are a man of reason after all.' _

* * *

Bare feet padded across the stone floor.

"I told you I could fix my own midnight snack."

"I'm sure you could, but I want to do it for you." The tall brunette leaned across the kitchen table and pressed the top of her partner's small computer shut with a click. "Knowing you, you'd just shove something easy and unhealthy down your throat while you do more research."

"Are you trying to say something?" Ami asked coyly with an arched eyebrow as she leaned back in her chair and patted her tummy.

Makoto's laugh died in her throat and her body froze. Her eyes clouded over. An eerie, mournful song filled the space in her brain. She was filled with a sudden and irrepressible understanding that she couldn't bring herself to ponder too closely. She just _knew_ what she had to do.

The plate the Jovian had held in her hand slipped from her fingers and crashed on the hard floor.

"Mako-chan?" The Mercurian was at the taller woman's side in a moment's notice.

Hazel eyes slowly turned to the blunette and Makoto looked to her lover; all that was good, and pure, and whole. All that was not her.

"I love you."

"Eh?" Ami asked, even as the Jovian pulled her into an all-encompassing embrace. "What's gotten into you?" She asked with a quiet chuckle.

"Nothing." Makoto said, her voice teetering unsteadily behind Ami's ear. "Can't I just say that for no reason?"

"Of course… I love you too, Mako-chan."

Ami felt a nearly frantic pressure on her upper arms as Makoto pulled her away from her. Leaning down, Makoto stole a brief kiss.

"I'm going for a walk."

"At this hour?"

But the Jovian was already out the door.

* * *

One amethyst eye cracked open swiftly. Rei's breath caught in her throat and she focused on her sense of hearing. It was faint; soft, mournful piano notes carried on a cool breeze. She realized she was depending on the wrong sense, and reached out instead with her spiritual abilities.

Suddenly, the piano's song became much louder. It was accompanied with a message - less a worded command and more a thought embedded in the tune. All Rei knew for certain was that if she didn't obey its call, harm would come to the one she cared for most. She wasn't sure how, but she knew it was all too possible. And that was not acceptable.

Rei slipped from Minako's bed. Her nakedness was instantly clothed by Mars' fuku.

Sensing the surge of her lover's transformation, Minako opened sleepy eyes. In her sleep-fogged confusion, it seemed as though Mars' back was to her, her sword drawn protectively where the crimson warrior stood guard at the foot of the bed. She blinked again, and only Rei stood there. Perhaps her eyes had deceived her.

"Rei?"

"Shh." The Martian leaned down to plant a light kiss on Minako's forehead. She busied herself with pulling the thin sheet closer to the Venusian's nude form. "Can't sleep. Going to make some tea. Go back to sleep."

"But-"

"For me?" Rei asked. It pained her to deceive Minako, but a simple, tangible, irrepressible fear overrode her guilt.

"'K." Minako mumbled tiredly. "Love you."

The soft glow of Mars enveloped Rei once more and she smiled softly. "More than the air I breathe." She whispered, though she knew the Venusian had already returned to sleep's embrace.

The crimson warrior didn't bother with the door.

She leapt out the window.

And she ran.

* * *

"Leave it to Beryl to find darkness on the near side of the moon. These damn crater walls make it so _dark_ and it's so damn _cold_ at this pole!" Zoicite grumbled as he made the final adjustments to the access point he'd completed assembling.

"Excuse _me_," Nephrite said dryly, "and here I thought we _didn't _want to announce our new base to the Moon Kingdom with bright lights and fireworks from a popular, tropical island."

Zoicite glowered at the younger shitennou and debated on ordering some of the youma, who hadn't hesitated in beginning to file through the newly opened access point from Earth, to attack his subordinate. Just for the fun of it.

"Ah, look," Kunzite said with a flourish, "speaking of our visitors, the Queen's _pet_ has arrived."

Jadeite snarled at his leader's slight. "Watch your mouth."

The dark head of the human had only just come into view in the dim light provided by Zoicite's machinery. The exiled Prince of the Earth made his way across the flat, smooth ground of the cold crater slowly, deliberately, and proudly.

The eldest shitennou snorted and crossed his arms at his youngest warrior. "You only wish you could hold the position Beryl intends for _him_."

Jadeite growled and lashed out. Kunzite easily caught the punch in an open palm all while shouting a mocking welcome to their exiled Prince. "So good to see you again, _Endymion_!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Endymion barked as he glared at the four men who had served his causes not so long ago. "You said visitors. Does that mean you've lured others out here as well?"

"You are as smart as you are gullible, _Prince_." Kunzite bowed extravagantly. "We have called only those little girls that proved to be easily manipulated."

"Easily manipulated?"

"Those honor bound and fierce nations like Mars and Jupiter provide _such_ pliable soldiers."

"Rei-san and Makoto-san." Endymion hissed.

"Is that what you call them?" Kunzite asked leadingly. "You've seemed to really make yourself at home on this sorry little rock that orbits _our_ planet."

"I don't think you know that you're playing with fire." Endymion spat.

"Cute pun. I'm not so afraid of the Martian." Kunzite's dark eyes belied his brave words. "Besides, if we capture her, we have Venus as well. With their leader distracted, we can wreak havoc on those senshi."

"This must be Beryl's plan, Kunzite. You were never quite this good at tactics."

"Touché." The leader of the shitennou said as he tipped his head in a mocking bow.

"You plan to brainwash Rei-san and Makoto-san, then. Like you've been brainwashed yourself."

"I don't consider it brainwashing, so much as I consider it… enlightenment."

"Enlightenment? You've become a _tool_, Kunzite."

"A tool you say?" The white haired man chuckled thoughtfully. "You have no idea what Beryl has planned for _you_, my former Prince."

Endymion scowled. His sword screamed as he unsheathed it in an angry fury. The shitennou were just as quick to scramble towards Kunzite where they drew a both a defensive line and their weapons. Four against one, the points of five swords caught the dim light.

"That's enough!"

The shitennou dropped to their knees as Beryl herself emerged from the access point, unconcerned that she was flanked by two fierce youma who mindlessly left her side to file in among their brethren that were slowly massing in the crater.

"What are you waiting for?" She asked the one man who still stood tall in her presence.

Endymion snorted. "I will not bow to you."

Beryl sneered. Her dark eyes glowed red. Endymion's face twisted into a grimace and the Earthling fell to his knees alongside the shitennou.

"What are you waiting for, Queen Beryl? Brainwash him now!" Jadeite shouted.

The red glow flickered, and then faded all together from Beryl's eyes. "No." She said quietly. "Not yet."

The tension of Metallia's power eased out of Endymion's body, but his anger hadn't diminished. He glared at his former tactician accusingly. "You'll attack the people of the Moon with those disgusting monsters?"

"Now, Endymion, that's no way to talk about my minions."

"Why must you attack here as well? You've gotten what you wanted, right?" He rose to his feet and took several slow steps towards the woman. "You wanted me as your King. You have me. Now let us leave this place."

Beryl was unconvinced. "You would play the martyr for her so readily? No, Endymion. I wish for you to be King of the Moon Kingdom, not King of Earth, which I already rule. You and I will rule this solar system together."

She smiled slowly. "I'm afraid you'll just have to wait a little while longer to become my King."

* * *

"This is a trap." Mars warned.

Jupiter nodded darkly. "I know."

Instinct had led both women to the Moon's pole, and now they paused at the rim of a dark crater, at which its center glowed a dim light. The two warriors looked to each other and nodded, forming an unspoken agreement. Together, they would meet the threat headfirst.

With a sharp battle cry, they flung themselves down the crater walls, running down the sharp incline at breakneck speeds.

"They've established an access point." Mars growled, the wind stealing her words. She ran faster as the newly built camp began to come into view.

"Youma." Jupiter spat. An arc of lightening jumped between her hands restlessly. "They plan to invade the Moon the way they have the other planets."

"Not if we can stop them."

But the humans had already spotted them. The shitennou bellowed to the monsters, and the ugly creatures reared at the urgent command. With a sickly battle cry, slow, cumbersome bodies filed out to meet the incoming threat.

Mars came to a skidding halt, throwing her weight back on one leg and summoning a ball of flame in her palms. A wall of fire engulfed the first line of monsters. Blackened skin melted and smoked. The stench was nearly as foul as next wave of monsters that rushed to replace them. This threat was met by Jupiter's lightening. Blue-white energy shot a web of electricity up and over a dozen of the youma. Brighter than the dim, surrounding lights, the monsters were fried on their feet and burned to a crisp.

But then, there were too many for even the two senshi's mass attacks to take down, and the warriors quickly found themselves overrun and standing back to back, surrounded.

"'Ch." Mars cursed as the youma pressed closer. "We should have known they'd invade the pole. Why didn't we send the Lunarian army here?"

Jupiter snorted. "You know what they say about hindsight."

"Oh well, there's only one thing left to do." The Martian said resignedly.

"Kiss our asses goodbye?"

"I was thinking about doing that only _after_ we got back to the palace."

Jupiter laughed. "You're worried how Minako-chan will react when she realizes you went into battle without telling her?"

"Only as much as you're worried about Ami-san's reaction."

"Well," Jupiter smirked at Mars over her shoulder, "lets not keep our lovely ladies waiting, ne?"

The youma shifted uneasily around the two senshi – the creatures knew they had strength in numbers but were also acutely aware that the attacks that the small women were capable of would take many of their number out first.

The two warriors nodded at each other. Mars jutted her chin towards the humans. The flames of Mars danced eagerly in her palm. "I hope you're ready for a good show, Kunzite!"

The white haired man sneered. "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you."

The tall man stepped aside. Beryl clambered onto the platform next to him, forcibly pulling another human along with her.

Mars' flame flickered. "Is that… Endymion?"

The dark haired man raised his head. He struggled in Beryl's iron grip. "Mars, run! They'll brainwash you both!"

The Martian froze. Her breath caught in her throat. She was reminded of a hazy vision granted to her several days past.

_Endymion and Makoto stood before her, the three of them united unexpectedly. It was cold. So cold. Yet it was the fear in her heart; tangible and dark, that was many times worse. Dark fingers reached for her, only her, and she was forced to submit to a powerful will-_

The youma issued a united battlecry, and as one, the ring of monsters surged, convening on the two women. Mars forcibly tore herself from the vision. But instead of battling the youma, she turned to face her comrade.

"Mars?"

"I'm sorry, Jupiter."

The force of the blow the Martian delivered nearly knocked the wind out of the powerful Jovian, and when Jupiter managed to catch her breath once more, she found herself enveloped in a protective shield of fire.

"Burning Mandala!" Jupiter hissed. Her eyes shot to the crimson warrior. "Rei-san!"

Jupiter pounded on the confines of the fire-shield she'd been trapped in, her eyes widening as she watched Mars battle the monsters on her own. Amethyst eyes glinted with a nearly suicidal glee the likes of which even the battle-tested Jovian had never seen.

Many youma fell victim to Mars' walls of fire. Her flame sniper provided adequate protection and decent offense in the few opportunities she found time enough to back away from her enemies to catch a much needed breath. She eliminated scores of the monsters with an attack Jupiter had never seen before. A giant fire-bird illuminated the pitch black sky. Spreading its massive wings, it opened its flaming beak and screamed. What youma it didn't capture in its mouth, it incinerated with its body.

But although Mars had taken down nearly fifty of the disgusting creatures by herself, the relentless force of youma just kept coming.

And Mars was losing strength.

The fire-bird faded out of existence, glowing embers of its magical feathers fading to the darkness of the black sky. The crimson warrior collapsed to her knees. She turned to Jupiter then, her breath coming in labored pants, her long raven hair singed and tussled.

"Tell Mina… I'm sorry."

The youma charged the downed warrior. Jupiter screamed. She pounded the protective barrier of the Burning Mandala with all her strength.

But the killing blow never came.

The youma paused in a tight circle around Mars' panting body. They parted only for Kunzite's demanding figure, and dispersed when he dismissed them.

The white haired human bent down and grabbed a handful of Mars' red fuku, pulling the woman to her feet. The crimson warrior found the strength to bat the man's hands away, and with teetering balance, she stood on her own, shaking legs.

Kunzite sneered. "You just had to choose the hard way, didn't you, Mars? You should have given up back on Earth."

Kunzite sneered at the bloodied warrior, teetering on the brink of collapse. He snorted, cocked his arm back, and decked her. She fell to the frosty ground in a boneless heap. The only thing that made the act that much more enjoyable for the shitennou were the muffled curses issued by the Jovian warrior.

From her platform, Beryl smirked. "Now Kunzite, that's no way to treat your new colleague." The dark Queen laughed then. She shut her eyes and extended her power. "Now, submit to Metallia's will, Martian warrior."

Beryl frowned as she felt Metallia's ghostly fingers sink into Mars' unconscious brain. The resistance she encountered was like nothing she'd ever encountered in all the people she'd possessed, something that went beyond the planetary strength that Mars could have afforded the woman. The human grit her teeth and dug deeper as Metallia's incorporeal fingers clenched around Mars' being. It was a good thing she was taking the woman while she was unconscious. She couldn't help but wonder how troublesome it could be to gain control of a woman who possessed the strength to combat Metallia's will when she was lucid and aware.

Beryl smiled. All in due time.

Finally, Mars' body twitched. Slowly, she pulled herself off the ground. She pushed her long, tangled hair out of her bruised and bloodied face and tossed it over a shoulder.

"Rei-san!" Jupiter pounded on the barrier of the burning mandala.

She received no response.

"Mars!"

The crimson warrior slowly turned. Jupiter nearly whimpered.

Those amethyst eyes were blank. An empty, haunted void.

"What of the Jovian?" Nephrite hopped off the platform and warily approached the burning shield. He raised his sword experimentally and swung at the barrier. His sword was deflected and the quivering, metal weapon fell from his shaking hands.

"Leave her." Beryl spat. "_If_ she can manage to escape that shield, she'll still have the youma to contend with. Let us go. We have what we wanted most."

The Queen descended the platform, pulling a struggling Endymion with her. The shitennou were quick to join her on the access point, eager to return to Earth.

Beryl frowned. The crimson warrior hadn't moved, still rooted to the spot between Jupiter and the Earthlings. She sneered. "Mars, come!"

Empty, amethyst eyes looked to the Queen.

And she obeyed.

* * *

The Lunarian Army's night shift was changing guard with the early morning soldiers and the steady sound of their marching only served to increase Minako's anxiety. She sped down the corridor leading to the senshi's private wing and nearly ran over a smaller woman. Her hands shot out, grasping around small, familiar shoulders.

"Ami-chan! Have you seen Rei? I just searched all the common rooms."

The Mercurian nibbled on her lower lip. "I was just about to ask you if you'd seen Makoto. I just came from the kitchen. I thought she might be personally seeing to breakfast."

Minako frowned. "When did she you last see her?"

"Last night. Nineteen hundred hours, forty three minutes."

The Venusian's eyes hardened. She couldn't be as precise as the Mercurian, but she thought that sounded like the same time as…

"Serenity." She mumbled.

"Minako-chan, wait! Where are you going?" Ami took to her heels, following the golden haired woman as she tore back through the senshi wing.

The guards that stood guard in front of the door to Serenity's room looked to the two warriors worriedly, but did not challenge them as Minako flung the door open wildly. The Venusian's breathed a half-sigh of relief. The Princess was sound asleep in her expansive bed. Minako shut the door quietly behind her.

"Minako-chan?" Ami questioned.

The Venusian shot the guards a dangerous glance and the men dispersed immediately. Minako turned to Ami. "She's in there. But Endymion's not."

"Endymion?" Ami scolded Minako with a reproachful gaze. "Don't tell me you believe that court gossip. You can't trust the maids, you know."

"They were right about you and Makoto-chan all those years ago." Minako said suggestively.

Ami reddened. "Th… that's besides the point! Besides… what does this mean that Rei-san, Mako-chan and Endymion-san have gone missing?"

"Maybe they're taking the whole boys night out thing a bit too far?" The Venusian asked hopefully.

Ami looked to her leader with weary eyes. Their troubled frames straightened at the sound of a scuffle down the hall. It seemed as though someone was tussling with the guards. Ami and Minako hurried around the corner, only to see a battered and bent Jupiter pushing the concerned guards away from her.

"Mako-chan!" Ami rushed down the hall and managed to cushion the Jovian's fall before she hit the carpeted floor.

Finally in what she considered safe territory, the last remnants of Jupiter's strength escaped her, and the Jovian detransformed to her weaker civilian state. The woman had run to her pole, fought a battle, been dealt a loss, had fought again, and had run back - all in the span of several hours.

When she'd finally caught her breath, her words came in a jumbled, confused, feverish lump. "Access point at the pole, Endymion was there… too many youma, we tried to fight them, but Mars… she… saved me, but-"

Ami shook her partner. "Mako-chan, slow down, you're not making any sense!"

Frightened hazel eyes pierced Minako. "They captured Mars and turned her to Metallia's will… they brainwashed her!" The Jovian's eyes rolled to the back of her head.

The leader of the senshi pushed Ami to the side and slapped Makoto across the face. With fistfuls of Makoto's collar, she shook the tall woman back to consciousness. "Makoto, tell me this isn't true."

A tear slipped down the Jovan's face. "She wanted me to tell you… that she's sorry."

Makoto succumbed to unconsciousness once more.

Minako released her hold on Makoto and surrendered her to Ami. She stood slowly, her back turned, her hands balled into white knuckled fists. But the golden warrior had no time for anger, no time for grief, no time for self pity. Footsteps were quickening around the corner. Minako turned to meet a possible threat.

A green haired woman in a black-skirted sailor fuku charged down the hallway. On her heels were Neptune and Uranus.

"Pluto…" Ami whispered.

The senshi of time rested her weight on a menacing staff and caught her breath. Her garnet eyes were haunted.

"I was… too late."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I know, I know. Dark (insert senshi of choice) is _so_ cliché, right? I happened to love Dark Mercury in PGSM, so I _had_ to try this out. Don't worry – I think all of you will like where I'm going to take it.

Please review! Please? Pretty please?

Special thanks to:  
Neuro: Thanks for pointing out Beryl's progression as a character. I've never been a fan of the stereotypical 'baddie', and put a lot of effort into developing her descent into evil. And yes, Serenity is far more powerful than even _she_ knows.  
Sailor Doc: Hope you enjoyed the pre-screening of 13. Your encouragement is always cherished.  
Sammeex: I _never_ get tired of your praise! I just can't wait until I get to post TTE so I can pimp your wonderful artwork to go along with it. Oh, and I _totally_ agree with what you said about Venusian sheets – they must be _really_ comfortable.  
Bomichan: Glad to hear you're still hanging in there. Beryl's human side was the greatest reward of writing her character. I tried to make her as believable as possible, so I'm glad you liked it. Regarding Beryl and Minako's dislike for another, there's nothing beyond the general 'vibe' they got from each other when they first met. There was just a natural antagonism between the leader of the senshi and the future Queen of Earth. Sorry it's nothing more interesting than that!

OOO

Preview: Chapter 14: Deadly Intent

"Beryl has a mission for you." Kunzite said smartly, eyeing the crimson warrior from the corner of his vision. He liked her obedience, and he sneered with satisfaction. "I told you you'd be on our side eventually."

Mars frowned. Her pace slowed. The blank darkness inside her mind gave way to a scream that sounded so much like her own voice. It was disjointed, urgent, like something was wrong. But she was so very confused. She remembered the name Endymion had spoke, the name associated with the one woman she could remember. It was all she could think of.

'_Minako. Minako. Minako. Minako!'_

Kunzite laughed. He tossed a hand over his shoulder. "You should have just chosen the easy way and surrendered when we had you here on Earth. Now your little leader will be in a world of hurt."

The blankness disappeared from Mars eyes. Those amethyst orbs clarified. Her pupils dilated, and with the scream of metal against metal, Mars leapt at the shittenou, driving him back against the wall.

Kunzite found himself in a position all too familiar, with the Martian's blade pressed against his throat. The crimson warrior applied just the slightest amount of pressure, and he felt his skin give way to the blade's point, felt his hot blood coursing a thin trail down his neck.

"That's enough!"

Mars narrowed her eyes at Queen Beryl's voice. She gave Kunzite one last scathing look and pressed her sword just a fraction of a centimeter closer before releasing the pressure on his neck all together. Holding his bleeding neck with a gloved hand, Kunzite dropped to a knee in deference to his Queen. Swiftly, Mars turned her back on him and sheathed her sword.

Beryl walked around the crimson warrior in a close circle, eyeing her critically. "Are you ready for your first mission, Sailor Mars?" The Martian nodded. Beryl sneered. "I want you to go back to the Moon Kingdom tonight. I want you to kill Venus."

Amethyst eyes wavered; the murky depths edging towards violet. Beryl frowned. They clouded over once more.

"Yes, Queen Beryl."

They were the first words the crimson warrior had spoken. Beryl smiled confidently and let her go.


	14. Chapter 14

A Single Voice  
Chapter 14: Deadly Intent  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

"And now, for my first trick, I'll have Sailor Mars kill Nephrite's guards over there."

Nephrite crossed his arms over his chest and scolded his leader. "Stop kidding around, Kunzite."

But the crimson warrior was already striding across the stone courtyard with deadly intent, raven hair tossed behind her by a sudden and angry breeze.

"Call her off, Kunzite. This isn't funny."

The five guards who protected the palace entrance turned towards the representative of the Moon Kingdom. Their hands eased towards the hilts of their swords and they exchanged curious glances at one another.

"They're just common guards; it won't be much of a loss." Kunzite brushed it off easily.

Mars met the first of the men to step forward. By the time he'd unsheathed his sword, she'd already skirted behind him, placed soft palms on his scratchy cheeks, and snapped his neck in one, swift, violent motion. He hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.

With ashen faces, the other four charged simultaneously. Mars ducked. One soldier ran down another for her - unable to halt the forward momentum of his attack without Mars' body in the way to take the blow. His comrade pawed at the spot where the blade impaled his abdomen. Mars was quick to snap the neck of her intended attacker before kicking the other soldier's fallen sword off the ground and into her waiting hand with a precise ease.

She leveled the weapon at the two remaining guards who stood defensively - frozen and trapped by Mars' empty, amethyst eyes. She charged, and made short work of them, felling both with one blow that opened both their necks effortlessly. Their blood left crimson splatters on Mars' cheek that she didn't bother to wipe away.

Zoicite whistled softly. "Didn't even use her sword or her powers on them."

Kunzite nodded slowly. "The Venusian was right. She really _is_ a barbarian."

'_Venusian?'_

The Martian's body froze. The world as she had grown to know it - dark representations of her surroundings veiled in a thick, red haze - faded. Instead of the cold and lifeless bodies on the ground before her, she saw an image of the most beautiful blonde she'd ever seen.

And she felt at peace.

"Call her back." Jadeite said uneasily.

"Fun's over, Mars!"

The image of the blonde was stripped away. The crimson warrior tossed the dead guard's sword to the ground where it landed with a clatter. She slowly returned to the leaders of the Dark Kingdom.

Where she sat under the shade of a generous elm, Queen Beryl crossed her legs and pressed a finger to her chin. Why had Mars obeyed Kunzite's command? She was under no obligation to serve him. It struck her as strange from this woman who had initially resisted Metallia's control so diligently, even in her unconscious state.

She smirked. Perhaps her hypothesis was correct. Perhaps the Martian harbored her own inherent darkness deep within her soul. Perhaps she _wanted_ this.

Beryl, however, would never know that as Mars came to stand next to her side obediently, the crimson warrior had only one clear thought in her clouded mind, even if she wasn't entirely aware of its meaning.

'_Five less dark kingdom scum.'_

* * *

The ice was too thin to step on. 

Of all seven women assembled, none had found the courage to openly look another in the eye. There had been sideways glances, darted gazes, and fleeting looks, but there were still two unavoidable elephants in the room.

Firstly, the change in their Princess had caught everyone off guard. Serenity threaded idle fingers through one of her ponytails. There was a chilling determination in her deep, blue eyes. She'd had Endymion given to her, only to have him taken away again. It was cruel. It was harsh. However, his disappearance also had the opposite effect. She had not folded under pressure; in fact, she wanted to fight _harder_, to win him back. She'd already asked her senshi for extra training and was crestfallen to learn that she and her guardians were to be stuck in a meeting for the next several hours.

Minako was a different circumstance. The Venusian put up a brave front by masking her bloodshot eyes and puffy cheeks with too much makeup, all while holding her exhausted frame upright and stiff. She and Rei had had to fight for everything they'd come to share. Nothing had been given to either of them, and for her lover to be stolen away in the dark of night, from her own bed, was a heavy blow that she still hadn't reconciled with. The others had never seen their leader become so unhinged. Only Rei had ever had such an affect on her, and without Rei there to have caused it, the effect was frightening.

Serenity and Minako were proof positive that people who are in love act strangely.

"Pluto?" Serenity asked, unable to tolerate the uncomfortable silence any longer. "I was unaware there was a senshi for the ninth planet."

The tall, sapphire haired woman nodded. "Did you not find it strange that you hadn't met the representatives of Pluto or Saturn?" She smiled indulgently and inclined her head slightly. "I'm sorry that our first meeting had to be under such circumstances, Princess."

"Pluto has been working with the outers for some time now, but let's hold off on the explanations until Rei and Endymion are here with us, ne?" The others couldn't bring themselves to meet Minako's forced optimism. "Besides," Minako ruffled Serenity's hair, "you don't need more things to worry about right now."

Serenity nodded and clutched the communicator Endymion had given her. It had been quiet ever since he had been stolen from the Moon. But she had not given up hope.

Minako turned to the herald of the Time Gates. With this stoic woman, who she knew had seen more than all the other senshi combined, Minako could allow her façade to slip in the slightest. She turned serious once more. "If you're here, then Saturn-"

"No. Saturn has not been awakened. Not yet."

"Not _yet_?"

"I… don't think we can hold off much longer." Pluto paused and captured Minako's gaze. "Tell me what happened here last night."

Minako looked to Makoto, and the Jovian fidgeted uncomfortably. "Mars, Endymion and I…" Makoto began haltingly, finding no small amount of interest in her hands where they rested in her lap, "we were all called to the pole."

"By Beryl?" Minako asked.

"No… I think it was Metallia herself." The Jovian suppressed a shiver. "When we got there, we found the Earthlings setting up an access point. The youma were already starting to stream through. Mars and I… we attacked. We were going to try to collapse the access point, to stall for more time against the Dark Kingdom, but…"

Ami laid a reassuring hand on Makoto's thigh, and the Jovian's shaky voice continued. "Endymion alerted us that Beryl would brainwash both Mars and I, and that's when she… that's when she trapped me in her burning mandala." Makoto swallowed the lump in her throat. "She fought. She just kept _fighting_… but there were too many of them!"

Pluto stood. The Jovian had suffered enough. "And then they took Mars, but you escaped."

Makoto looked away, her lips a thin, white line. She was a warrior. It was a soft spot. "She protected me, I think. Even after they brainwashed her, I was still protected inside her shield. It wasn't until she left through the access point that the barrier faded. I… I wanted to stay and fight the youma. I did. But I knew I needed to get back to the palace to deliver the message…"

Minako rose and closed the distance between herself and Makoto. She rested a hand on her senshi's shoulder. "You did what you had to do." She said as bravely as possible.

The leader of the senshi cracked an honest half smile then, for she could hold onto that small hope that the Jovian had unwittingly given her, that Mars had retained enough of herself to keep Jupiter safe, even while being influenced by Metallia.

Minako slipped away from Makoto and cracked her knuckles. "I think it's safe to assume that the Dark Kingdom plans to invade the Moon." She could nearly feel the surge of protectiveness and battle readiness from her warriors. She turned to face them all coolly.

"What do you say we get the jump on them and attack first? If we crush their access point on our pole, we'll at least buy ourselves more time against whatever it is Beryl's planning."

"Now we're speaking the same language." Uranus pushed herself off the pillar she'd been leaning against. It took only a few strides of her long legs to close the distance that separated her from Minako and she grasped the smaller woman's shoulder and offered her a feral smile. "It's the best plan I've heard since we got here."

* * *

The room she was in seemed strangely familiar. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but Mars was sure she'd been in the place before. She slowly walked its perimeter. She poked her head into the expansive bathroom, paused by the generous bed, and stared listlessly at the small koi pond from the serenity of the wooden deck. She looked up. The Moon wasn't out, but Venus glowed brightly in dawn's early light. 

She'd _definitely_ been here before.

Suddenly, Mars frowned. She turned on her heel and drew her sword, pointing it to the room's entrance. A half second later, the door swung open wildly. A dark haired man stood panting in the opening. With a darted glance down the hall, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him before hurrying towards the crimson warrior. He seemed familiar, too, though Mars couldn't place him.

"Rei!"

'_Rei?' _The Martian's eye twitched. Her red tinged world wavered just the slightest.

The Earthling rushed over to her side. Mars didn't feel threatened by his presence, and she lowered her sword before sheathing it once more.

"Listen," he said insistently, "Beryl's going to send you back to the Moon."

'_The Moon?'_

"I can't imagine that Minako-san's taking this any better than Serenity is right now."

'_Minako?'_ Mars raised a shaky hand to her temple. There was that vision of the blonde again. Why did that woman seem so _utterly_ important?

"All I can say is that I hope you're being a damned good actress, Rei-san." The dark haired man reached into his cape. In his hand, he fingered a finely folded piece of paper. "Mars, I don't know what you have planned, but my communicator is broken and I need you to give this to Serenity-"

With a confused frown, Mars pushed the dark haired man back with a sudden, violent shove. The Earthling stumbled and retracted his hand back into his cape as though he'd been burned. He fingered the piece of paper impotently.

The door to the room opened with a low-pitched squeal. A man with long, white hair scowled at what he found.

"Endymion." Kunzite spat. His boots quickened over the stone floor. His fingers clasped around Mars' arm. She yanked her arm from his grasp and leveled narrowed, amethyst eyes at him.

Kunzite's hands fell limply at his sides. He returned to the door. "Follow me." He growled at her over his shoulder.

Mars afforded Endymion one short, critical glance before falling in behind the leader of the shittenou.

"Beryl has a mission for you." Kunzite said smartly, eyeing the crimson warrior from the corner of his vision as he marched down the hall. He liked her obedience, and he sneered with satisfaction. "I told you you'd be on our side eventually."

Mars frowned. Her pace slowed. The blank darkness inside her mind gave way to a scream that sounded so much like her own voice. It was disjointed, urgent, like something was wrong. But she was so confused. So confused. She remembered the name the man named Endymion had spoke, the name associated with the one woman she could remember. It was all she could think of.

'_Minako. Minako. Minako. Minako!'_

Kunzite laughed. He tossed a hand over his shoulder in a flippant gesture. "You should have just chosen the easy way and surrendered when we had you here on Earth. Now your little Venusian will be in a world of hurt."

The blankness disappeared from Mars eyes, the cloudiness giving way to piercing amethyst. Her pupils dilated, and with the scream of metal against metal as she drew her sword from its sheath, Mars leapt at the shittenou, driving him back against the wall.

Kunzite found himself in a position all too familiar, with the Martian's blade pressed against his throat. The crimson warrior applied just the slightest amount of pressure, and he felt his skin give way to the blade's paper-thin edge, felt his hot blood coursing a trail down his neck.

"That's enough!"

Mars narrowed her eyes at Queen Beryl's voice. She gave Kunzite one last scathing look and pressed her sword just a fraction of a centimeter closer before releasing the pressure on his neck altogether. Holding his bleeding neck with a gloved hand, Kunzite dropped to a knee in deference to his Queen. Swiftly, Mars turned her back on him and sheathed her sword.

Beryl walked around the crimson warrior in a close circle, eyeing her critically. "Are you ready for your first mission, Sailor Mars?" The Martian nodded. Beryl sneered. "I want you to go back to the Moon Kingdom tonight. I want you to kill Venus."

Rei's eyes wavered; the murky depths once again edged towards a violet hue and Beryl frowned. The Queen flexed her will, and in one, short moment, they clouded over once more.

"Yes, Queen Beryl."

They were the first words the crimson warrior had spoken. Beryl smiled confidently and let her go.

* * *

Serenity was wearing a hole in her rug. 

Her warriors had left hours ago, on a mission to the pole, and she'd been forced to stay back with Pluto as her guard. She shot a weary glance to the closed door of her chamber, knowing that that enigmatic woman was just on the other side. Pluto was confusing. The woman seemed to speak in riddles, and it was more than the distraught Princess could handle at the moment.

She'd wanted to fight alongside her senshi, aide them in battle, but her plea had been issued on deaf ears. Despite the days of rigorous training she's subjected herself to, her friends and guardians had made her stay back while they went into battle.

And she had to wonder if that what she'd always be to them - the helpless Princes who needed their protection above all else. She couldn't help but wonder as her small hands balled into tight fists if they'd ever take her seriously. Her fingernails pressed into her palms hard enough to pull her back to reality, and her hand darted to the folds of her dress.

She clutched the cool plastic contours of the communicator Endymion had given her impotently, fighting to keep the tears that threatened from spilling down her face.

She collapsed onto her bed, her fingers flying over the well memorized keys.

-Endymion, please respond-

Serenity's eyes were riveted to the chronometer on the wall. She'd force herself to wait a full five minutes for a response. She was acutely aware that in those five minutes, one of her senshi might be risking her life for her sake.

-Endymion!-

Two more minutes passed. She couldn't be so strong. Her fingers danced across the keypad once again. _Endymion_ could be risking his life for her, and she'd never know.

-Please. I have to know you're alright-

Fifteen minutes passed. Small sniffles began to chip at the dam she'd so carefully built. Watery blue eyes looked out her arching windows to the glowing blue orb of the Earth, and with a single, hitching sob, Serenity gave in to her despair.

* * *

"The humans aren't here." 

Venus growled. "Are you sure, Mercury?"

"Absolutely."

"Then the youma will just have to do for now." Venus' gloved hands made tight fists. Slaughtering the youma hoard in the crater would only suffice until she could get her hands on the ones that took Rei from her. But at least it would be _something_ to ease the pain. A cold, eerie wind howled restlessly.

"There are hundreds of times more youma now than when I left here last night." Jupiter said darkly.

Uranus nodded grimly. "We might make a dent, but we won't be able to push them back like we'd originally planned. There's too many."

"Mercury, if we can get in close enough, you can disable that access point, right?"

"Venus…" Mercury looked to her leader with a cautious eye, "we'd have to get _really_ close."

Cerulean eyes hardened. Fists clenched and unclenched.

"Venus?"

But out and over the edge, the leader of the senshi was already lost to the shadows of the crater's wall, running down its vertical ledge recklessly.

Uranus looked back to the others. "Keep an eye on her." She barked, and then she followed the Venusian headfirst into the crater, feeling the others right behind her on her heels.

Elemental attacks whizzed to the right and left of Venus. The ground rumbled at her feet, and she felt Uranus at her left. A surge of ocean water reared to her right and she knew Neptune was with her as well. The familiar spark of electricity and a menacing spray of water that tingled next to her were confirmation that Jupiter and Mercury were right behind her. Yet Venus wanted to be the first to meet the youma head on, and she appeased herself with a vicious swipe of her sword that opened ones neck and sent him tumbling to the ground in a spray of blood.

Slow and stupid, the monsters reared and sounded the attack. Their cumbersome bodies ceased their aimless milling, and their numbers slowly formed a more cohesive force, hundreds and hundreds of the creatures forming lines and marching to meet the threat of the five senshi.

Back to back, Neptune and Uranus launched long range attacks in tandem, careful to aim close enough to the leader of the inner senshi to reduce the number of youma in her immediate vicinity, all while eliminating dozens of their numbers with each attack.

Despite their massing numbers, the golden warrior only allowed herself to see one enemy at a time. Focus, defend, attack, kill, smile, and press on.

Venus only smirked when three youma surrounded her at once. They were a wall of flesh and ooze, a mass of teeth and claws. Dwarfing her small form, they were all she could see. One swiped at her with its short arms. She sliced through the appendages with her sword before driving her weapon into its throat. The other two seemed to learn and attacked together. One met its fate with a crescent beam to the brain, the other received the business end of her sword in the gut.

"Maa," Neptune said between releasing long-range attacks, "She's getting a little cocky over there."

"Let her." Uranus barked as two of the monsters got a little too close for comfort. She rushed forward and tagged both of them through the neck with her sword. "She won't listen to reason now. Let her work off some steam."

With Jupiter as her cover, sending long-range bolts of lightening into the fray before the first lines had even neared their location, Mercury scrambled atop a rock formation. Gaining her feet, her blue visor came to life before her eyes and she scanned the enemy camp for their numbers and locations, their strengths and their weaknesses.

"Not good." She said hurriedly. "Even Uranus and Neptune's attacks can't possibly reach the access point from here."

"Oh?" Jupiter asked as she released another bolt of lightening. Ten youma fell to the ground in charred heaps. Their brethren were only minimally slowed as they clambered over their dead bodies. "Then we'll just have to get closer."

"Through all those?" Mercury asked. Jupiter only smiled up at her. With a knowing sigh, her blue visor disappeared. Mercury launched her small body off her perch and she landed nimbly next to her partner. Together, they rushed into battle.

A set of claws razed Venus' shoulder and she hit the frost-covered ground hard enough to knock the wind out of her. From the corner of her eye, she could see the two outers and her two inners fighting effectively as teams. She was too slow to regain her feet, however, and she grimaced as the foot of a youma pressed down against her back. She found she very much missed fighting with Rei at her side. She coughed shallowly as her air supply diminished. What she'd give to have that fiery, confident reassurance next to her. The foot that pinned her down flexed, producing long talons that shot into the tender flesh of her side. Venus swallowed a strangled cry.

The ground beneath her body rumbled. A vicious wind and a golden glow stole the air and pushed her attacker off her prone body and cleared the general vicinity around her. She was suddenly aware of Uranus pulling her to her feet. Venus batted away the helping hands and found herself pushing her back against the Uranian's form, not wasting any time in summoning her love me chain to attack four of the monsters that rushed in close to them.

From where she'd fallen back to aide Mercury and Jupiter, Neptune sent a Deep Submerge in her partner's direction, taking out five more of the youma that charged the two senshi leaders. Uranus and Venus leaned against each other for support, each of them panting from their efforts.

"There's no way we'll make it to the access point, Venus."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Fall back."

The Uranian considered Venus' small hesitation to be her approval.

"Never." Venus' raspy voice was nearly lost to the raging winds and the roar and constant shifting of the youma.

"Venus?" Uranus grabbed for the leader of the inner senshi.

But it was too late. She was gone. Venus was a flash of golden light, threading herself through the youma's ranks. Her chain snaked out, taking down bodies to her right, working in tandem with her sword that dropped the youma to her left. Crescent beams felled the monsters that stood before her.

But they just kept coming.

A World Shaking cleared the path that had already closed in Venus' wake and Uranus charged in with one target in mind. She grabbed Venus by the wrist. A Shabon Spray and an Oak Evolution kept the youma at bay for a short moment.

"What are you doing?" The Venusian barked.

"Calling a retreat. This is suicide."

"If the outers want to retreat, that's your decision."

"I'm calling a retreat for the inners, too."

"That's not your decision to make, Haruka-san."

"Have you even _looked_ to your warriors, Minako?" Uranus barked, tightening her grip on Venus' wrist. "They're wounded and exhausted! They can't keep this up and neither can _you!_"

Venus reluctantly looked to her senshi, barely visible through the shifting and scuffling of the monsters that surrounded them. Jupiter held a bloodied arm closely to her body. Favoring one of her legs, Mercury leant against the Jovian's form, a trickle of blood running from a gash across her forehead. Even Neptune boasted battle wounds, a rapidly rising bruise above an eye and a cut lip.

The Venusian looked to the leader of the outers, that serious scowl compromised by a long, bloody gash that ran down an arm, and a blackening bruise that circled one hazel eye.

"Don't make me remove you forcibly." Uranus warned. "This isn't what _she_ would have wanted."

The Venusian's body went limp. She nodded her consent. Their comrades cleared a path for their escape. Venus offered little protest as Uranus pulled her back through the youma.

* * *

Sickbay had done its work, bandaging the warriors of the Moon and sending them back to their rooms to let their senshi powers complete their accelerated healing processes. But it was only a small consolation to the leader of the inners. 

"I can walk by myself." Minako spat.

Haruka hefted the Venusian's petite form in her arms easily. "Some thanks I get for helping you, you little brat."

Minako twisted her torso and slugged Haruka in the shoulder. Her weak punch had little affect on the Uranian and succeeded in only tugging at the stitches that lay beneath the Venusian's bandaged side. She leant her head against Haruka's shoulder in defeat.

"Are you quite done now?" Haruka asked scathingly. "That was some stunt you pulled out there, risking yourself like that." She looked down at the limp woman in her arms. "You were no leader today, Venus."

"'Ch." Minako spat the familiar curse, but it only served to remind her of her missing partner, and she was forced to stifle a sob.

Haruka came to a stop in front of Minako's door and eased the body in her arms to one side as she worked the doorknob. She strode towards the expansive bed, not bothering with the luxuries of turning on the lights.

"Regardless of what's going on in your personal life, you can't let it affect your leadership. Too many lives hinge on your strength, Minako."

Haruka deposited the Venusian on the bed none too gently. Minako refused to make eye contact with her.

"For all you know, Rei is doing everything possible to get back here. You'd throw that all away and sacrifice yourself in a reckless battle?"

The Uranian took the Venusian by the shoulders. "Look at me, damnit!"

Haruka found herself regretting her words, for when Minako's broken gaze finally turned in her direction, she had no recourse to the haunted pain she fond in the Venusian's eyes. Haruka straightened stiffly and returned to the doorway, but she looked back one last time. Minako only stared at the ceiling blankly.

The Uranian frowned. "I'm disappointed in you, Minako."

Haruka shut the door behind her with a gentle click.

In the darkness near the window, a pair of cloudy, amethyst eyes narrowed. Her fingers possessed a white knuckled grip around the hilt of her sword, pointed downwards so as not to catch the glint of the blue and gold light of the Sun and the Earth that bled through the barely parted curtains.

She stepped forward slowly, intent on her target, but when one, retching sob seemed to unhinge the woman on the bed, filling the room with inconsolable sobs, she paused.

"Rei!" Minako wailed, face down and pounding at her pillow, "Where _are_ you?"

Battling the haze that filled her mind, Mars hit the floor on one knee and one hand gripped her head. What was this confusion? Why did she feel like she was the cause of this woman's pain? What was this sudden, inconsolable _wrongness_ that surrounded her?

Mars stood. Her sword clattered to the floor. The crimson warrior turned, and she threw herself out the window.

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Please leave a review!

Special thanks to:  
Neuro: Glad you're liking the Dark Mars arc. Of all the senshi, to me, she's the best candidate for it since she has her own inherent darkness. Although she is being controlled by Metallia, and she is obviously fighting it, it's not hard to give her that darker streak.  
Sammeex: Yes, Mars and Jupiter knew they were walking into a trap, but they also knew that if they didn't heed the call Metallia had sent, the alternative could be even worse. Mars is obviously fighting the darkness right now, but she's still confused. We'll see just to what extent Minako has on that darkness in the next chapter!  
Edge: Thanks for that review. It totally made my day. :)

OOO

Preview: Chapter 15: Home

Mars paced between the walls of her room in Edo Castle. The heels of her pumps tore ragged holes in the fine carpet that covered the polished wood as she furiously turned her body time and again.

The woman in that bed, back on the Moon… why could she see her in _this_ bed here on Earth, her naked body wrapped tightly around one that resembled her own? _Why_?

She was supposed to have killed that woman.

But she hadn't.

She stopped pacing. Her hands flexed, relaxed, and flexed again. Perhaps she should seek out Endymion, that man who seemed to know her. Perhaps he could-

Mars crumpled to the floor, hitting it with her knees and rolling on her side into a fetal position as the hazy, crimson veil that shrouded her vision flickered and faded to black. She felt icy fingers surround her soul and squeeze tightly. She stifled a cry until the pain receded.

Standing back up on shaking legs, the Martian warrior wiped a cold sweat from her brow. Cloudy eyes hardened, and with a newfound resolve, she left her room to resume her mission.


	15. Chapter 15

A Single Voice  
Chapter 15: Home  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The door swung open wildly and crashed against the opposite wall. Minako swallowed a sob and shot up in her bed, startled by the intrusion as Mercury and Jupiter charged through the threshold with panicked expressions.

Mercury flipped the light switch on while Jupiter dashed to each of the four corners. A woman possessed, the Jovian stopped at the large window and drew aside the heavy curtains. The combined light of the Sun and the Earth spilled a golden blue glow across the room.

Minako blinked at the sudden brightness. She dabbed at her eyes with the long sleeves of her loose shirt and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. "Just _what_ is going on here?"

Jupiter scowled and shook her head. Mercury drew a shaky breath. "Mars was here."

Minako's bare feet rushed across the floor. Frantic hands gripped Mercury's shoulders. "Tell me she's still here." She demanded.

The Mercurian's blue visor blinked out of existence. Even at such a close distance, even with her leader's insistence, she couldn't meet Minako's gaze. "I'm… sorry, Minako-chan. She's gone."

She released the senshi of wisdom and rounded on Jupiter. "Tell me you can find her!" Minako shouted.

Hazel eyes softened and the Jovian's jaw went slack. She placed a gentle hand on the Venusian's shoulder. It was batted away viciously. "Ami-chan had figured out a way to track Mars through the signature of her senshi strength." She said by way of apology. "The program alerted us that she was here. Now, it's silent again."

"She must have returned to Earth." Mercury said."She was here and gone so quickly. She must have had a reason."

Minako sank to her knees. Jupiter's transformation faded in a vibrant green glow. Makoto's hands tightened and relaxed relentlessly. A bright glimmer caught her eye and the Jovian rushed to the window. Behind the curtains, she found a sword that was all too familiar.

The sound of metal scraping against stone drew the attention of both Mercury and Minako. Makoto held the hilt of Rei's sword in one hand, the flat edge of its blade in another. Slowly, with a sad smile, she knelt next to her leader.

Minako swallowed the sob that threatened to start her tears anew. She drew a deep and calming breath and reached for the weapon, securing it in a mirror image of Makoto's hold.

"Rei," she whispered, clutching the sword to her chest, "you came back."

* * *

Mars paced between the walls of her room in the Edo Castle. The heels of her pumps tore ragged holes in the fine carpet that covered the polished wood as she furiously turned her body time and again.

The woman in that bed, back on the Moon… why could she see her in _this_ bed here on Earth, her naked body wrapped tightly around one that resembled her own? _Why_?

She was supposed to have killed that woman.

But she hadn't.

She stopped pacing. Her hands flexed, relaxed, and tightened again. Perhaps she should seek out Endymion, that man who seemed to know her. Perhaps he could-

Mars crumpled to the floor, hitting it with her knees and rolling onto her side in a fetal position. The hazy, crimson veil that shrouded her vision flickered and faded to black. She felt icy fingers surround her soul and squeeze tightly. She stifled a cry until the pain receded an untold amount of time later.

When the blinding pain and burning nausea ceased, Mars stood back up on shaking legs and wiped a cold and clammy sweat from her brow. Her cloudy eyes narrowed, and with a newfound resolve, she left her room to resume her mission.

* * *

"You know? Michiru's going to start asking questions if you keep monopolizing my time like this."

Minako exhaled a puff of breath that scattered her golden bangs across her forehead. "Cut the crap, Haruka-san."

The Uranian chuckled and leant her body against the courtyard's pillar. A distant and ancient maple cast its dappled shadow over the wind's avatar. "At least you're in a better mood today. I take it you're done pitying yourself and you're ready to fight for what you've lost?"

Cerulean eyes glinted with something akin to mischievous resolve. Haruka's words the night before _had_ helped her greatly, and Mars' appearance, though painfully brief and equally confusing, had pulled the Venusian out of her despair. Now, she wanted to spar, to work off that excess frustration, sharpen her skills, and prepare herself for what would come next, whatever that may be.

Minako cocked her weight onto her hip and sank into a defensive position. "Look, just shut up and fight me, alright?"

Haruka smirked and pushed herself away from the pillar. The request was simple; the Venusian wanted this without powers, with no weapons. Minako wanted to brawl. She smiled a feral grin. "Don't think I'll go easy on you. You asked for it, _Princess_."

The pet name was a ploy. Minako's concentration wavered. Tears collected in the corner of her eyes and her defensive position slipped. It was just the opening the Uranian was looking for. She surged forward on quick feet and slammed her fist into the Venusian's stomach with a vicious uppercut.

Minako stumbled backwards and coughed, her arms tight around her middle. She shifted her body to resume her defensive stance, her posture clipped and shaky.

"Come on!" Haruka taunted and walked a slow circle, remaining just out of Minako's striking range. "I thought you wanted this!"

Minako watched the tall woman circle her from the corner of an eye. She straightened her posture as much as she could, given the blow she'd taken. "I do."

"Then don't let something so small affect you. If you want to save her, you have to be ready for _anything_."

The Venusian trapped her lower lip with her teeth. She nodded, and threw herself at Haruka with a messy punch and a roundhouse kick. Haruka deflected the fist and caught the kick in midair, her fingers closing around Minako's ankle before she used a foot to sweep across the leg the Venusian was depending on for balance. Minako hit the ground hard on her back, but unflinchingly, she rolled herself into a backwards somersault and regained her feet.

The two women circled each other slowly. Haruka launched an offensive, sending a quick barrage of short, powerful punches at Minako, who skirted backwards, parrying each quick blow. She managed to block the last and throw off the Uranian's center of gravity just enough to get in a quick jab to the taller woman's ribcage.

Haruka grunted and raised an eyebrow at the Venusian's sortie, and then spun on the woman with the same attack, only faster. Minako had everything she could do to keep up with the fast jabs, having to throw her all into defense to avoid being clipped by the punches.

"You're holding up well." Haruka offered a cocky smirk and threw another punch that Minako barely blocked. Minako held Haruka's fist, but only because the Uranian allowed for it.

Haruka smirked. "But though I hate to admit it, that damn Martian is faster than me when she wants to be. Could you stand up against her if she were really trying? Could you fight _her_?"

Minako frowned. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead and stung her eye. Haruka snorted and shoved the other woman's smaller body away forcibly.

She charged the unprepared the Venusian and her knuckles grazed the corner of Minako's mouth, splitting her lip. Pushing Minako back, the Venusian frantically tried to meet her blows, but Haruka got in a sucker punch to Minako's ribcage. Minako took several steps backwards in an attempt to regroup, but Haruka pursued relentlessly and caught her in the gut with a knee. A leg sweep sent Minako to the dusty cobblestones, sprawled on her side.

The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth and Minako pulled her body into a fetal position and waited for the final blow that she knew Haruka wouldn't pull.

But it never came.

Instead, a frighteningly familiar voice sent a shiver down her spine.

"She's _mine_!"

Minako's blood ran cold. Was it really… she opened her eyes and scrambled to her feet.

"Rei…"

The Martian's back was to her, her lower body planted firmly and her upper body twisted into a punch where it connected with Haruka's middle. The Uranian gasped. Mars met her with an uppercut to the chin that had Haruka freefalling. The back of Haruka's head hit the cobblestone ground and she went silent.

The crimson warrior pursued the downed Uranian. She placed a foot on Haruka's stomach and reached for her sword to finish the job. Her fingers gripped at nothing. They flexed numbly. Her sword… she had lost it somewhere. She looked down at the wincing visage of the dusty haired woman.

'_She is not the woman I was sent to kill.'_

She turned her gaze over her shoulder. Another blonde stumbled towards her, stopping on shaky feet several paces away. It was the woman who had plagued the darkness that filled her mind.

'_Minako.'_ Mars knew her. Minako was suddenly enveloped in a surge of golden light. Mars knew her alter ego, too.

'_Venus. My target. I… I _protected_ my target.'_

With a silken scream, Venus drew her blade from its sheath. She held it at the ready with a white knuckled grip.

"_Could you fight her?"_

Haruka's words echoed in the golden warrior's head. The smallest tremor she'd harbored faded and her sword stilled confidently. She _could_ fight Rei. She _would_ fight her, if that were what it took to save her from the darkness that so obviously controlled her.

"You're here to fight _me_, aren't you? Venus asked with a lilting voice.

The crimson warrior frowned. That woman's half smile, the glint in those cerulean eyes. Mars could barely breathe.

"What are you waiting for!" Venus cried, "Come and get me, you _barbarian_!"

'_Barbarian?'_ A chill ran down the Martian's spine.

'_Minako. Minako. Minako!'_ That name cycled endlessly through Mars' head, but the golden warrior was charging her, her sword raised.

'_Take the blow!'_ Mars screamed the instruction at herself, knew it was right, but the dark presence in her mind wrapped its fingers around her tightly and at the last second, Mars twisted her body. Venus' momentum propelled her forward, her blade pierced only the crimson skirt of Mars's fuku and the Venusian stumbled over Haruka's body and sprawled to the ground.

Ignoring the commands of the voice in her head, Mars took to her heels. Her raven hair streaming behind her, she leapt over the Palace wall, and for the second time, she abandoned her mission, and she ran.

Venus stumbled to her feet, but she knew she was already too late. She'd missed, and Rei had slipped through her fingers once again. Her shaky legs gave way and she collapsed to her knees at Haruka's side.

The Uranian drew a shaky breath. She rested her hand on Venus' thigh. "Next time." She wheezed.

The golden warrior nodded distantly. "Next time, I won't miss."

"Venus!"

She didn't have to turn to greet the tandem voices, she had already assumed that Jupiter and Mercury were on their way and within moments, they had rushed to her side.

"You're too late." Venus made a garbled sound that fell in somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "I just missed her."

* * *

"This is your second return, Mars."

The crimson warrior froze, but didn't turn to grant the shittenou eye contact. The surprisingly soft touch of a man about her height rested a hand on her shoulder. She found Jadeite grinning at her. "Beryl would like to see you."

Mars narrowed dangerous eyes and brushed the youngest of the shittenou off before marching to Queen Beryl's throne room with wide, determined strides.

When Mars entered the darkened room, the doors shut solidly behind her and the Queen was waiting for her. Mars' cloudy eyes lingered on Endymion's form, sitting awkwardly in a seat next to her throne.

"Did you encounter battle with the senshi?"

Mars turned to the suspicious voice of Queen Beryl. The Earthling measured her with cold eyes. Her long fingernails gestured to the crimson warrior's side.

"I see your sword is missing."

Mars looked to her hip. It seemed naked without her blade. She'd tried to use it moments ago, hadn't she? Through hazy memories, she could remember that she'd forgotten it… left it in the room of the woman she'd been sent to kill. The woman she'd failed to kill twice. The woman who seemed so achingly familiar.

"Perhaps you need some training? A warm up of sorts?" Beryl grinned darkly. "Killing those you used to know and love doesn't come easily, not even with Metallia's powers, does it?" She paused, considering. "At the very least, you'll need a new weapon."

"Endymion." She barked, "Bring me the sword."

Endymion regarded his former tactician wearily. Despite his better judgment, the exiled Prince rose and approached a table at the far side of the room. A sword of medium build lay on a dark cloth. It's design was nondescript, but that it was forged of a black metal that seemed to shed a light darker than the void of space. Endymion reached out for the weapon, but before his fingers could curl around its hilt, he retracted his hand as if it had been burnt.

Beryl's grating laughter filled the chamber. "No. You aren't able to touch it, are you? You're still pure and untainted, unlike this one here." She pointed a thumb at Mars, but gazed at Endymion fondly before cutting her eyes to the crimson warrior. "You," she ordered, "go. Take your sword."

The Martian obediently approached the table but stared at the dark weapon for some time. Part of her understood she didn't want to touch the sword; the part of her that rebelled, screamed, and cried out in frustration. But she was powerless to the force that controlled her, and finally, her white-gloved hand reached out and gripped its hilt. She winced. It tingled. It burned. It muted what little of her true self she could still hear and it turned her crimson view of the world infinitely darker.

Her cloudy, amethyst eyes turned a solid, glossy black.

"Now," Beryl commanded, "attack Endymion."

"Rei-san…"

The whispered name reached only her ears and Mars narrowed her eyes as she looked at the familiar man. She didn't want to do this, did she? But then the sword was moving of its own accord, and she seemed to be bound to its will, along for the ride as she thrust at Endymion. Endymion managed to feint to the left and the sword skirted off his shoulder armor with a metal clang.

"Draw your sword, you fool." Beryl hissed to Endymion. "Give us all a good show."

Endymion held his ground, refusing both the order he had been given from Beryl and the dangerous glare he found in Mars' glassy, black eyes. The small seed of hope he'd felt for Rei withered, but he refused to give up entirely.

That was when the crimson warrior charged again, swinging the dark sword in a wild arc high above her head.

Endymion unsheathed his sword and their blades met above their bodies.

It took a white knuckled, two handed grip for him to retain enough strength to hold his sword against Mars'. He could feel his energy being sucked into the void of the dark weapon. His hands burned, his body tingled. He couldn't imagine how painful it must have been for Mars to wield it.

Mars grinned. She pushed her weight against her sword and Endymion stumbled backwards. She surged forward and parried a weak attack while countering with a kick to the man's stomach. Endymion grunted and leant forward, but gritted his teeth and met the Martian's next blow.

She was waiting for this, however, and a well-placed knee to the groin had Endymion doubling over in pain.

As he fell backwards, his hand brushed hers. Mars followed him to the ground. Instead of skewering him with the sword, as the weapon so desperately wanted her to do, she shoved the blade into the flagstone floor and pinned Endymion to the ground with a knee to the chest in a submissive hold.

Beryl stepped forward, the echo of her heels breaking through the fog in the crimson warrior's head. "That's enough, Mars. You've made your point." She grinned. "Now, return to the Moon and complete your mission."

Mars rose to her feet. She pulled her sword from the stone. It slid through the rock like butter. She sheathed it easily and wide strides separated her from Beryl's throne room quickly.

It was only after she'd left the Palace proper that she relaxed the muscles of her left hand. Unconscious fingers smoothed the wrinkles of the folded paper Endymion had pressed into her palm as he had fallen. Without a single, backwards glance, she stepped onto the access point and was teleported back to the Moon.

* * *

Long silver hair streaming behind her, Queen Serenity rushed down a set of marble stairs.

"Old friend," she enveloped Sailor Pluto in a warm embrace, "I'm sorry I couldn't meet with you right away."

"Your kingdom is on the verge of war, your highness. I would not expect you to be able to meet each newcomer with open arms."

The Queen sucked her teeth in a very unladylike manner and released the other woman reluctantly. "You're hardly a newcomer, and don't think you can get away with using formalities just because I haven't seen you in decades, Setsuna."

The stoic woman's cheeks colored slightly at the gentle reprimand. A deep green glow enveloped the senshi of the time gates, and with an expression of a scolded child, Pluto's civilian identity stood in the senshi's wake. "My apologies, Serenity."

The two women shared a brief respite that withered on worried glances.

"As glad as I am to see you, I can't imagine that your arrival at a time like this bodes well for my kingdom."

Setsuna shook her head. She paused and measured the weight of each word carefully. "Metallia, the evil that was born from the Sun, was not supposed to be awakened for many centuries. The peoples of this age are not prepared to deal with such a threat."

"Are you saying that our position is hopeless?"

"I'm saying you're fighting a losing battle." Setsuna said firmly.

"Then there's no hope."

"I fear… not without Saturn's intervention. And even then…"

"Even then, all will be lost." Tears collected in the corners of Queen Serenity's crystal blue eyes. "Say it isn't so, Setsuna."

The green haired woman tore her gaze from her Queen and wandered on idle legs until she came to gaze out an arched window. "I could tell you anything you wanted to hear, Serenity, and it would all be lies." Her cold gaze lingered beyond the rise of the mountain range of Montes Haemus to the north. "The future has gone dark. I can't distinguish one possible future from the next."

The Plutonian looked up from the warm touch on her shoulder. The Queen had banished her tears and a brave smile tugged at her lips. "If the future is not written in stone, then all hope is not lost."

"That is a dangerously optimistic outlook."

"But I do believe you've used both those words to describe me in the past, have you not, Setsuna?"

The timid blush returned to the Plutonian's cheeks. "A long time ago, yes." She straightened her form. "But now there are others; new loves, that wage new battles that they were never meant for."

"You refer to Rei joining Metallia's cause? Surely that was not supposed to happen."

"None of this was supposed to happen, Serenity. The time stream has been turned upside down by Metallia. And it's not Rei I'm worried about." Setsuna drew a deep breath. "I feel her powers are strong enough to deal with the threat inside her in her own way. It's Minako who is my concern. That girl leads with her heart. I'm afraid she'll lead all the girls into trouble if she's not careful."

The Queen of the Moon Kingdom only laughed quietly.

Setsuna frowned. "My Queen?"

"It's the one thing my daughter and Minako share most in common. They both lead with their hearts. I don't see this as a bad thing. I think it makes Serenity a better Princess, as it makes Minako a stronger leader."

The senshi of time looked to Queen Serenity with uncertain, garnet eyes.

"You'll see. It'll be the wealth of Minako's love that will save Rei. They may be new loves, but I don't think either of them are unprepared for the trials that await them."

Setsuna couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. "You seem so certain of this. Perhaps you can see into the future better than I can of late?"

Serenity smiled sweetly. "Hardly. Call it a woman's intuition, if you will. I just…"

Setsuna forged forward when the Queen's gentle smile faded. "Serenity?"

"I'm not worried about the others, but… I just hope my daughter will be so lucky when it comes to Endymion."

* * *

Minako tossed violently in her sleep – the fitful, tense sleep of the over exhausted and stressed.

Mars approached from the window cautiously. Certainly, she considered, this time the woman, knowing she was being hunted, would have guards posted against the threat. She gazed at the form on the bed, clothed in a simple, golden nightgown, her body barely covered by a thin sheet she'd tossed off long ago.

'_I'm not a threat to her.'_

At her mind's defiance, Mars' fingers gripped around the hilt of the dark sword at her hip. She crept into the room and paused at the Venusian's bedside silently. Even through her crimson haze, she couldn't help but notice as a single tear slid down the gentle swell of one of Minako's reddened cheeks.

The Venusian turned toward her, unseeing and in the throes of a nightmare. A fine sheen of sweat covered her body. Her brow furrowed and she whimpered.

"Rei…"

Mars' sword slipped from her fingers. It clattered loudly on the floor at her feet and she leaned forward, grabbing her head with both hands.

It was enough to wake the fitful woman, and though Minako was unsurprised to find Mars at her side, she knew this wasn't the time to rejoice. It was all too obvious that her lover was still fighting for control over the darkness that had claimed her.

It was now or never.

Minako rolled off the bed. Landing half in the Martian's lap, she threw her arms around the woman she'd missed so much. She shuddered despite herself. _'She's so cold.'_ But the feel of Mars' frigid skin was nothing compared to the emotions that rolled off the crimson warrior's body, the emotions that Minako siphoned unwittingly, bordering on frantic and desperate as Mars fought for control against the darkness that commanded her.

"Tell me you're fighting it, Rei. Tell me you can defeat this!" Mars' body shook violently in Minako's arms. "I promised to fight you, but I don't want to if I don't have to!"

Home. She was definitely home. Mars snapped and her cloudy eyes cleared. "You have to fight me, Minako! Call the others. Together, you can defeat me. Do it now before I can't stop myself!" Her hand reached for the floor, searching blindly with splayed fingers. "The sword… it-"

"Sword? Rei, what sword?" Minako drew herself back, looking to Mars with pleading eyes. She gasped when she heard the eerie scrape of metal on stone and saw Mars' fingers tighten around a black sword that was not her own. The crimson warrior shoved Minako away violently and the Venusian slid across the floor and scrambled to her feet.

Her breath caught in her throat when Mars' cloudy eyes turned the darkest shade of black. For a brief moment, Minako wavered between fear and despair, but then she straightened herself and nodded sharply. The golden light of her senshi strength enveloped her, and Venus stood tall with a sharp determination.

"Arm yourself, Venus." Mars hissed.

Venus' fingers closed around the hilt of her sword. She unclasped it from her waist and it fell to the floor with a loud clatter. "No," she growled, "it's _your_ sword I want."

Glassy, black eyes narrowed and Mars threw herself at the Venusian. The dark sword came frighteningly close, slicing through a lock of Venus' hair, but the golden warrior figured that it was more than just her skill that had gotten her within arm's range of Mars without getting struck down by the deadly weapon.

'_She doesn't want to be doing this.'_

Mars raised the sword once more and Venus lunged in, skirting behind the crimson warrior and throwing her arms around her, pressing her chest to the other woman's back with only one intent; to siphon the darkness that Rei fought…

And to help her defeat it.

Venus' appreciation of Mars' spiritual strength amazed her, for under the influence of the dark sword, the evil that rolled off of Mars' body and into Venus' was the most debilitating feeling the golden warrior had ever experienced. Mars protested Venus' hold only halfheartedly, throwing her body weakly from side to side, and Venus buried her head in Mars' neck, tightening her grip around Mars' middle as she concentrated on the darkness she siphoned.

'_Is this… Metallia?'_

It was raw. And mean. And cold. And hateful. It was worse than fear, and it was overpowering. But if she looked hard enough, held on long enough… there. It was not unlike what she imagined that Rei saw when she used her psychic abilities; floating in that terrifying darkness was the very essence of the woman she loved. The flickering crimson aura was warm and strong, determined and fierce, and though she was fighting hard against Metallia's sway, she was utterly exhausted.

'_Rei… you're all right. Tell me what to do. I need your help.'_

But Mars couldn't respond. All her energy was being spent to block the worst of Metallia's influence, the depths of which Minako couldn't sense. She could show Venus how to help her in only one way. Slowly, Mars lifted shaky hands. Her grip on the sword's hilt shifted, and she held the blade in reverse, its point aiming for herself.

Venus frowned. She'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, but somehow, she had known. Her hands found Mars', and rested on top of them, both sets of hands gripping the sword's hilt. Venus shut her eyes, and she concentrated.

It was then, through the hazy fog that dulled her senses, that Mars felt a new energy. It was a supportive push, a gentle reassurance. Venus wasn't only siphoning _from_ her, she was siphoning _to_ her, aiding her aura with her own in her fight against Metallia. The Venusian's strength was welcome, and stronger than Mars had ever imagined it could be.

"Are you sure?" Venus asked gently, tightening her fingers around Mars'.

The Martian could barely nod. She pressed the tip of the dark weapon to her abdomen.

'_Foolish child!' _

Threatened,Metallia lashed out, her voice echoing in the minds of both women, and for one, heart-stopping moment, both Mars and Venus thought they'd lose control completely and stumble into the dark madness that laced that evil voice.

Metallia growled._ 'I would give you so much power! And yet you still chose to defy my will!'_

Mars made one, last stand, her mental voice sounding weak even within the confines of her own mind. _'No amount of power will ever equal what __she__ can give me, what she's __already__ given me.'_

Venus was equally strong. _'Get out of her head, Metallia. She doesn't belong to you. She'll _never_ belong to you.'_

Venus steadied Mars' grip. But in doing so, she also shifted the Martian's aim away from her abdomen and further towards her hip, farther away from anything vital. She wouldn't risk Rei's life, not even over Metallia. It would be enough. It _had_ to be enough, for Venus refused to accept the alternative.

Mars squinted her eyes shut and bit down on her lip, and Venus helped her drive the blade home. The dark sword pierced the left side of Mars' hip, burying its black point deep into flesh and muscle.

Metallia's tortured scream filled their ears, filled their minds. Mars fell to her knees and Venus dropped to catch her, collecting her under the arms and pulling her back to her chest to ease Mars to the floor softly. The scream in their heads slowly faded into an empty silence and the dark sword that protruded from Mars' hip shattered and turned to dust.

They'd driven away the darkness, and beyond that, they'd _wounded_ her, wounded Metallia.

With a shaky breath, the woman in Venus' arms was enveloped in a crimson glow. When it was just Rei in her embrace, tears began to roll freely down Venus' cheeks, even as she pressed a gloved hand to Rei's wound to staunch the bleeding.

"Rei," Venus whispered, tightening an arm around her lover, burying her face in her neck as she repeated that name over and over, "Rei, Rei, Rei!"

Deep in the space between consciousness and unconsciousness, all the exhausted Martian could do was weakly squeeze the Venusian's hand on her hip to reassure her that she would be all right.

The door to Minako's room swung open and Venus was vaguely aware of a commotion that could only be all of the senshi rushing into her room. She looked up at them with tearstained, bloodshot eyes and swallowed a relieved sob that felt so much better than the anguished ones she'd swallowed for far too long.

"She's back," Venus gasped, "Rei's come home."

* * *

Author's Notes:

I don't seem to have much to say in these notes anymore. But I would still appreciate hearing what readers think – please leave a review!

Special thanks:  
Neuro: You know, I always debate whether or not to use attack names in my fics. They generally always come out sounding lame! Double Jeopardy may be the only fic where this isn't the case. I'm glad you liked the fight scene. You might remember ages ago my frustration with group battles that I expressed over at SD's board. I'm still trying to get over my aversion to group battles!  
Atrox: Sorry, no serious fight between Dark Mars and Venus/Minako. I'd toyed with the idea, but came up with this instead. I think Minako would have seriously fought her if she had to, though.  
Sporadic: Patience. It's a virtue. :) It's hard juggling two stories. This one might be done, but editing is a time consuming process, most of all. Keep up the good work on We Are One!

OOO

Preview: Chapter 16: Worthless Human

Serenity was happy that Rei and Minako had been reunited. She was. But she couldn't curb the sadness that chipped away at her heart, at her very soul.

_They_ had been reunited while she had not yet heard any news from Endymion.

Her fingers bypassed the smooth plastic of the communicator Endymion had given her and clutched the finely folded note instead.

Fingering the note, she walked the perimeter of her room and double checked that her doors were securely closed. Content that Sailor Pluto was standing guard outside the antechamber to her bedroom without feeling the need to keep a visual check on her, Serenity climbed onto the windowsill next to her bed.

With shaking hands, she unfolded the note. Unsure fingers tore a corner, and with her frantic grip, she nearly ripped through one of the creases. As soon as enough of the page came into view, she began to read.

_Serenity, please do not worry. I have not switched sides. Beryl is reluctant to brainwash me, and I hope that with that advantage, I may be able to prevent war from breaking out between Earth and the Moon. I don't know how, yet, but I will try my hardest. And I promise to return to your arms a better man and the rightful ruler of my peoples.  
__I love you.  
__-Endymion._

After she'd read it, Serenity read it again. The Earth made its trek across the horizon and her actions began to compromise the integrity of the note. She soon found that it didn't matter, that by the time her tears had drowned the ink and her shaking hands had torn the paper, she'd already had the passage firmly committed to memory.

It was a knock on her door that finally tore her eyes from the remains of the note.

"My Princess, breakfast has come and gone. It is nearly time for lunch and you have not yet left your quarters."

Serenity shifted on the windowsill. Her rear end had long since gone numb, and her bloodshot eyes were dry and tired. "Thank you, Sailor Pluto, but I do not wish to eat at the moment."

"Then I wish to inform you that I am due to meet with the rest of the senshi shortly, and to remind you that you have an audience with your mother at twelve hundred hours."

"Thank you, Sailor Pluto. I will not forget."

The guardian of the time gate went silent. Serenity listened carefully until she could hear the senshi's quiet footfalls as she departed.

Slowly, she stood, her legs tingling and her head swimming for spending the greater part of the day in a single pose. She reached into her dress and examined Endymion's communicator, contemplating it thoughtfully for several moments.

Finally, her fingers flew across the keypad for a brief moment. In the communicator's blue screen, one line was displayed:

-Endymion, I'm coming for you.-


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
A Single Voice  
Chapter 16: Worthless Human  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

The pervious night had been a hectic blur for the Princess of the Moon Kingdom.

She'd heard the commotion; the frantic running as her warriors rushed past her room towards the senshi wing, and she'd cracked her door open in response, only to be met with Sailor Pluto's unreadable garnet eyes. The enigmatic woman had explained that Mars had returned, and that the others believed she was fighting Minako. She had also suggested that the Princess return to her room where it was safe.

And Serenity had rebelled. She was tired of their over protection, tired of their attempts to shield her not only from battle, but from herself. She wouldn't have it any longer.

Serenity had defied Sailor Pluto, and she took off on her heels, running after her senshi towards Minako's room.

She had stood there, standing on the edges of her toes to see over Mercury's head. Soon afterwards, she had felt Uranus and Neptune at her back. Serenity had watched with them - Venus' sobbing form, her frame shaking as she held Rei's unconscious body to her chest.

She'd rushed into the room then, pushing between her warriors that were transfixed by the door, to kneel by Venus' side, eager to reassure her, to calm her, and to see to the needs of her two friends; two of her strongest senshi. She'd looked to Rei's wound and shouted back at Mercury. Rei was going to be all right, but they needed a medic.

And that was when her eyes had fallen on a small square of crumpled paper, held loosely in Rei's left hand.

Her name was printed on it in elegant handwriting, small and precise.

She had reached for it; a subtle, deft movement, perhaps born from the training she'd received at her senshi's hands. Mercury and Jupiter had finally come to her side to help Rei and Minako, and Serenity had carefully slipped the small note into the folds of her dress, where it joined the communicator Endymion had given her.

But that's where Minako and Rei's story ended, and hers began. For now, the two of them were _'sleeping it off'_. Although they weren't likely 'sleeping it off' in the Venusian's usual, glorified sense of the term, Minako and Rei had been through a lot in the time that Mars had been captured by Beryl and held to Metallia's will, and the fight they'd had against the dark being had taken its toll on both women.

In all honesty, Serenity was happy for her two warriors. She was. But she couldn't curb the sadness that chipped away at her heart, at her very soul.

For in the end, _they_ had been reunited while she had not yet heard any news from Endymion.

Her fingers bypassed the smooth plastic of the communicator that had been silent for far too long, and she clutched the finely folded note instead.

Serenity walked the perimeter of her room and double checked that her doors were securely closed. Content that Sailor Pluto was standing guard outside the antechamber to her bedroom without feeling the need to keep a visual check on her, Serenity climbed onto the windowsill next to her bed and pulled her hand from her dress.

With shaking hands, she unfolded the note. Unsure fingers tore a corner, and with her frantic grip, she nearly ripped through one of the creases. As soon as enough of the page came into view, she began to read.

_Serenity, please do not worry. I have not switched sides. Beryl is reluctant to brainwash me, and I hope that with that advantage, I may be able to prevent war from breaking out between Earth and the Moon. I don't know how, yet, but I will try my hardest. And I promise to return to your arms a better man and the rightful ruler of my peoples. _

_Love, Endymion._

After she'd read it, Serenity read it again. The Earth made its trek across the horizon and her actions began to compromise the integrity of the note. She soon found that it didn't matter, that by the time her tears had drowned the ink and her shaking hands had torn the paper, she'd already had the passage committed to memory.

It was a knock on her door that finally tore her eyes from the remains of the note.

"My Princess, breakfast has come and gone. It is nearly time for lunch and you have not yet left your quarters."

Serenity shifted on the windowsill. Her rear end had long since gone numb, and her bloodshot eyes were dry and tired. "Thank you, Sailor Pluto, but I do not wish to eat at the moment."

"Then I wish to inform you that I am due to meet with the rest of the senshi shortly, and to remind you that you have an audience with your mother at twelve hundred hours."

"Thank you, Sailor Pluto. I will not forget."

The guardian of the time gate went silent. Serenity listened carefully until she could hear the senshi's quiet footfalls as she departed.

Slowly, Serenity stood, her legs tingling and her head swimming for having spent the greater part of the night and the morning in a single pose. She reached into her dress and examined Endymion's communicator, contemplating it thoughtfully for several moments.

Finally, her fingers flew across the keypad for a brief moment. In the communicator's blue screen, one line was displayed:

-Endymion – I'm coming for you-

* * *

"I… attacked you." Rei looked put off, and wouldn't meet the taller woman's eyes. "I apologize."

Haruka only laughed. She reached out and laid a hand on the Martian's shoulder. "It's okay. I think I deserved it. After all, you thought I was attacking your woman, didn't you?"

Rei colored and Minako grinned a toothy smile. Makoto hid a smirk by finding a sudden interest in the program Ami was working on at her computer. Michiru made a quiet, passing comment about the similarities between Martians and Uranians.

"I have to admit," Haruka said while scratching at the back of her neck, "I haven't been knocked out like that since I was a little kid. I knew you had it in you. Perhaps we can spar for real sometime."

Rei finally offered Haruka a genuine smile. "I'd like that, Haruka-san."

A soft click of the courtyard's door opening didn't seem to bother the others, but Rei's attention drifted to the presence of a tall, dark skinned woman. Clothed in a deep green sailor fuku, the woman strode across the floor and took a seat at one of the chaise lounges. The Martian found herself performing a mental scan on the new warrior, reaching out with her still exhausted senses, just on the off chance that this woman who seemed familiar with the others might be a threat, but when those garnet eyes turned towards her, Rei shuddered. Although the Martian didn't feel the slightest threat from her, she couldn't read much of anything from the woman, either.

A strong slap to the back of her shoulder nearly caused Rei to topple out of her chair and the Martian was forced to tear her attention away from the enigmatic woman and to Makoto instead.

The Jovian wore a winning smile and pumped a fist into the air. "If you were able to reverse Beryl's brainwashing and banish Metallia from your mind, then she can't be _that_ tough to beat, right?"

Rei struggled between answering the question and revealing information while a stranger was present. Minako noted her partner's distrustful gaze on the newcomer. With a shoulder pressed to Rei's on the chaise they shared, she laid a reassuring hand on the Martian's thigh.

"This is Sailor Pluto, Rei. She's one of the outers that aid Haruka-san and Michiru-san. She guards the time gates."

Pluto tipped her head in the slightest. "Nice to meet you, Rei-san. I've heard much about you."

Cool, amethyst eyes openly examined Sailor Pluto.

Michiru stepped forward and rested a hand on Pluto's shoulder. "Setsuna," she said pointedly, "why don't you join us?"

Pluto looked to her friend in question, but then realized her mistake. Almost hesitantly, a sapphire light enveloped her, and her civilian persona was left in Pluto's wake. Without the menacing staff and the formal warrior's outfit, even if her eyes were still hard to read, the others felt a little more at ease, to include the mistrustful Marian.

"My apologies," she said, addressing all of them. "Rei-san, my name is also Setsuna."

Finally, Rei nodded, and feeling somewhat more at ease, she returned the greeting.

"Please, go ahead," Michiru prompted the Martian, "You were going to tell us more about your experience with Metallia."

Rei nodded and paid careful attention to her hands in her lap. "The power that I… the power that _Minako_ and I defeated, it was… a mere fraction of Metallia's potential."

"Rei?"

The Martian looked to her partner. Her amethyst eyes were haunted as she remembered the foreign presence that had tinged her world in a darkened haze. She nodded. "The Metallia I encountered was just a small part of the being from the Sun. She was being funneled through Beryl, her avatar."

"Her power would have been greatly diminished." Michiru agreed sagely.

Finally, Minako gripped Rei's thigh. She forced a smile for her warriors. "Metallia is still an enemy. And she has an avatar. She can't be unbeatable. We'll find a way. I know we will."

The Martian nodded. The silence was oppressive. Ami busily inputted the new information into her computer, but the others pointedly avoided eye contact.

"So…" Rei tried her hardest to shift away from uncomfortable conversation, "How is Serenity's training proceeding?"

"She's come a long way in such a short time. It's truly incredible!" Minako exclaimed, also eager for the diversion. "She's spent time with nearly each of us, learning different techniques and styles.

Haruka rose from her lounge chair and began to pace restlessly. "But… what little she's learned in hand to hand combat and battle tactics will get her no where against the enemies we're up against, and yet you continue to let her fool herself into letting her think she can make a difference?"

Rei frowned slightly. "I was under the impression that we were catering to her whims only to give her something to _do_."

Minako fidgeted. "That's partially correct. But… you have to understand, Serenity… she leads with her heart."

Haruka snorted. "With all due respect, I _don't_ see how that will help us on the field of battle."

"Don't doubt our Princess." Everyone in the room turned to Rei's sudden defiance. Her voice quieted. Her gaze was distant and centered on nothing in particular. "Somehow, I have a feeling that her fragile heart may save us all."

Minako rested her elbows on her knees to get a better look at the Martian's shielded eyes. "A premonition?"

"Hardly." Rei scowled. "I can't see much of anything anymore."

"Nor can I." Michiru added.

Setsuna only nodded. "There are too many possible futures confusing the time stream right now. Not even I can get a clear reading."

An oppressive silence descended once again. Makoto stood to restlessly pace across one side of the room. Suddenly, Minako stood. "Where _is_ Serenity, anyway?" The Venusian looked around the room with wide eyes. "Who was assigned guard duty?"

"I had guard duty last." Setsuna said calmly. "She told me late last night that she had a meeting with her mother this afternoon."

The blood drained from Minako's complexion. "Queen Serenity is in war deliberations all day."

"Damn it." Makoto cursed. "I'm going to her quarters." Not waiting for her leader's approval, the Jovian became Sailor Jupiter, and she dashed for the door.

"Rei!" Minako snapped.

"I'm already on it." The Martian had gone stock still, her consciousness spreading, rushing past Makoto's running form, slipping down corridors and through walls. She searched Serenity's empty bedroom twice and then cast around the rest of the palace. "I can't find her. She's not in the palace!"

A sweat broke across Rei's brow. There was only one other place Serenity might have gone.

"You don't think she could have…" Ami's hesitant question went unanswered.

Rei ground her teeth. Her consciousness ascended to the black sky, drifted past the pull of the Moon's gravity, crossed the vast distance between her new home and the Earth. Her frame began to shake. She wasn't sure, even with Minako's gentle strength at her side, if she had the power to stretch herself that far.

She was vaguely aware of Minako's quiet voice. "Rei… stop. You've been through too much to use those powers right now."

Rei's consciousness was slowed as it streaked through the clouds and neared that small, island nation of Nippon. The distance from her body was so far, and the darkness of Metallia's taint was everywhere. She pushed just a little further. Finally, the Martian's eyes shot open.

"Earth!" She exclaimed, voicing that dirty word that the others were afraid to hear, "She's at the Edo palace."

Jupiter's frantic voice was amplified across the combined power of each of the women's communicators. "She's not in her room!" She shouted.

"She's on Earth." Ami was the only one who could seem to get her voice to work to inform Jupiter.

Minako supported Rei's weak form while taking command and barking orders. "I'm leading a recon mission. We're going in after her."

"I'm coming with you." Jupiter demanded.

Minako growled. "No. Rei and I will go."

Ami stood, her brow furrowed. "But Rei-"

The Martian batted Minako's supportive hands from her body and stood on her own with shaky legs. "I'm fine. Minako and I will go. We saw what happened last time when there were too many of us on the surface."

"Rei and I know the palace best. She can track Serenity directly, and we can get in there, get her, and get the hell out. This is a _recon_ mission," she stressed, "not war with Edo or Earth."

Jupiter snorted her displeasure across their communicator.

"Ami-chan," Minako commanded, "you will stay behind. You can help us track Serenity via the Eternal Main System." The Mercurian nodded sharply.

"Haruka-san, Michiru-san, Setsuna-san, Mako-chan," the Venusian turned towards the outers with a steely look, "I don't expect an attack, but can I entrust the security of the palace against the youma threat to you four?" The Uranian grunted and stood tall for her team.

"Let me go with you!" Makoto growled again. "I'll pilot the shuttle, provide a quick escape!"

"No time." Minako barked. "Rei and I will Sailor Teleport down there."

"You two can _do_ that?" Ami asked. "It's always taken more than two senshi in the past."

Minako all but shrugged. "We've done it before."

"But can you teleport _back_ with the Princess safely?" Makoto argued.

Minako's eyes hardened. "Fine. Mako-chan, using Ami-chan's coordinates, you'll meet us on the surface with a shuttle to get us the _hell_ off that planet once we have Serenity."

"Roger that."

* * *

"I told you not to come here." In the predawn dark of the rose garden, Endymion's actions belied his words, and he pulled the Princess of the Moon Kingdom closer to his body.

Serenity grabbed the lapels of Endymion's jacket in tightly balled fists as she battled back tears. "I couldn't help it. I was so worried! When Rei-chan came back… the note just wasn't enough. I had to _see_ you!"

Endymion sighed in relief. "Rei, is she-"

"Minako helped her. They banished Metallia together."

The exiled prince drew Serenity impossibly closer. "Then there's hope in the fight against her."

"Hope?" Serenity asked, pulling back to capture the man's dark eyes. "There's _always_ hope, Endymion."

He snorted and rested his chin on the top of her head. '"I wish it were so easy."

"Let me help you."

Endymion pulled back, nearly frightened by the determination he found in the woman he thought he knew so well.

"Come back with me," she urged, "we'll find a way to fight Beryl and Metallia together."

A frown tugged at Endymion's lips. "I can't leave. Beryl won't hesitate to declare war and attack your kingdom right away. That's why this is something I have to do on my own."

"Endymion…"

"I owe it to her. You understand that, don't you?"

Serenity allowed for the smallest of smiles. "She loves you, doesn't she?"

He tightened his grip on her unconsciously. "She does. She has for a long time. It's always been one sided."

"Of course it is. It's why she doesn't want to brainwash you."

Endymion could only nod in awe at Serenity's understanding. She could be refreshingly childlike and completely naive, but she could also be deceptively deep and incredibly mature when the situation called for it.

"This is my fight." He repeated. "Now tell me, Serenity, do you trust me?"

"With everything I am." She replied. "But that doesn't mean I won't keep searching for a way to help you."

"Then will you promise to keep on fighting no matter what happens?"

"Of course, Endymion."

The Princess of the Moon Kingdom was lifted off her feet as the exiled Prince pulled her into a tight embrace.

* * *

"Keh! Look at her. In his arms like she hasn't a care in the world."

"'Ch. We shouldn't allow this. We should take her away from here now."

Venus smiled tolerantly. "Now, Mars, that wouldn't be very nice. Let's give them a moment. How different is this from our situation?"

Mars scowled. "Well, for starters, he isn't under Metallia's sway."

"Maa. Then stop worrying. He's just a harmless human male. Let's give them a moment, shall we?"

The Martian turned to argue, but then stumbled to her knees and grabbed her head.

_A dark haired man reared forward and drew his blade. It caught the glint of the early dawn light as it drew a graceful arc aimed for a blonde haired woman who stood her ground unflinchingly._

"Rei!" Venus hissed, accustomed to the Martian's body language. "Was it a premonition?

The crimson warrior pulled herself back to her feet and blinked. Premonitions had been few and far between, and after her experience with Metallia's influence in her head, she wasn't sure _what_ she could trust. "I… don't know," she spat, "I don't know anything anymore."

The Venusian rested relieved hands on the Martian. It would do no good to act on false or incomplete information, and Venus relaxed only when Mars did; the crimson warrior's shoulders slumping. Venus tore her eyes from her Princess and the exiled Prince and gazed up at the sky. On the lightening horizon, both the Moon and Venus shone brightly in the pink-orange band that heralded the sun's rise.

"They're so close, the Moon and Venus." Her voice was a whisper.

"Well, you _are_ the leader of her guard and her closest confidante. It only makes sense." Mars' voice was testy, even if the intent was to try to ease her partner.

The Venusian tightened her grip around her sword's hilt and she turned introspective. Suddenly, it was she that needed reassurance. "That only reinforces the feeling that everything we're doing, all of this, is predetermined. That we can't stop or change whatever evils are going to happen."

Her gaze still solidly on her Princess, Mars gently touched the small of Venus' back. "The future can always be changed if you try hard enough, Mina."

Slowly, Venus loosened her grip on her sword and rested her head on Mars' shoulder.

* * *

Bare feet sank into the soft sand of the garden path. Still dressed from the night before, the Queen of the Earth walked in an aimless daze, a cup of steaming coffee clutched between her long fingernails.

Sleep had been elusive. Too much had ridden her mind. She had felt the link between Metallia and Mars break with a resounding snap, and had known that the lynch pin in her attack against the senshi had failed. The citizens of Earth were a rallying force, eager to do her bidding, but beyond her desire to crush the Moon Kingdom, she had no clear plan of yet. Her shittenou were each tasked with different, often competing projects, and there was still Endymion to think about, too. The reluctant, exiled Prince roamed her halls with a forlorn expression. She would banish him from her sight, had it not been for Metallia's insistence to keep him around.

'_She thinks I'll agree to turn him dark, like I did the shitennou.'_ It was a thought she often lamented, for it was an act she didn't want to perform.

She stopped then and took a generous sip of her black coffee. Her eyes were drawn to the light growing on the horizon, to the orange-pink band of sky that closely hugged the mountain range to the northwest. The moon's luminance was finally loosing to the light, fading into obscurity behind the white topped peak of Mount Fuji, and towards the East, the arced, orange rim of light that broke over the land heralded the dawn.

Morning's growing light banished some shadows, but created others. Contrasting and conflicting shapes and shadows that didn't belong in the garden setting came better into view, and Beryl found herself choking on a lump in her throat.

Her mug tumbled from her hands and landed in the leafy loam at her feet with a soft thud, and the steaming contents spilled forth, burning her toes. It was not for lack of want that she did not cry out. In fact, she couldn't find her voice at all. Instead, she shuddered when a cold, dark ripple sent a shiver up her spine.

'_Quiet, you fool!'_

Metallia froze her, and Beryl was helpless but to stare at the sight before her.

Under the protection of the low canopy of a katsura tree, Endymion and Serenity stood, their bodies twined together in an embrace. Their lips were locked together, and they were seemingly oblivious to any multitude of dangers that could be waiting for the exiled Prince and the Princess of the Moon Kingdom who had wandered into hostile territory.

'_Brainwash him. Brainwash him, now, Beryl. See how he flaunts his love for that worthless Moon female? And so boldly, right in your own palace? Do not let this chance slip through your fingers.'_

The Queen of the Earth tried to turn, tried to avert her gaze, tried anything she could to get the hated sight out of her vision, but Metallia forced her to watch the two lovers, and no amount of struggling would change that. She whimpered, her hands shaking. It was not the first time she'd caught the two in such a position, but every time she saw proof of Endymion's love for Serenity, it killed another piece of what little was left of her soul.

'_Do it now, or I'll do it for you.'_

Beryl's voice was a quiet hiss. "Don't you lay a _finger_ on him." It was the first time she'd ever defied Metallia openly, but Beryl would rather perform the task herself than let another so much as touch the man she loved.

Tears streamed down her face. She released the grip she held so tightly on Metallia's powers that resided deep inside her. Sensing her opportunity, that dark presence streamed forth, released from Beryl personally, but being borne of Metallia's dark powers.

Beryl felt her precarious grip on her sanity waver, and she wrestled with the surge of power that tried to escape her body, barely managing to snap her controls back in place to allow only the smallest amount of Metallia's strength through. It would be enough to brainwash Endymion, but it wouldn't be enough to leave him emotionally vacant.

'_There's no reversing the brainwashing, Beryl.' _Metallia sneered in her head, displeased with her avatar's actions._ 'The Martian was an exception. Endymion is just a worthless human.'_

Beryl watched with clenched fists as Endymion went stiff in Serenity's embrace before collapsing to the soft ground. The look of shock and fear on her face was a mirror image of the Princess'.

"Endymion!" Serenity bent a knee to join her lover on the ground, but the man was already pulling himself back up, his head bowed, his body pitched forward.

Endymion stood awkwardly, and the small arms that were quick to wrap around him went stiff. "Endymion?" Serenity's voice wavered. "Endymion… no…"

Those dark blue eyes grew cloudy, and finally, they turned pitch black.

The next events happened in a dizzying blur. Endymion stepped back and drew his sword. Serenity stood in shock before him, her eyes catching the glint of light as the arcing blade reflected the light of the orange glow of dawn. With an efficient speed, the blade descended, aiming for the Princess of the Moon.

Mars rushed through the bushes, Venus hot on her heels. The crimson warrior shoved her Princess aside and caught Endymion's blade with her own. It took two hands to steady her strength against his, but the small woman gathered her stamina and pushed him back.

Venus collected Serenity from the ground, pulling the woman to her feet and shifting to stand in front of her protectively, her sword held at the ready. The Princess clutched the only slightly taller woman's shoulders, her body racked with sobs as she called out.

"Endymion, no! She wasn't supposed to do this to you!"

Beryl emerged from the shadows then, her tall body sauntering into view. Her red eyes flashed in the pre-dawn light. Her voice was thick and flat. "I didn't do this to him, dear Serenity. _You_ did this to him by trying to steal him from me."

Serenity gathered herself, tried to be defiant, but could only stifle a sob. Beryl laughed, her unhinged voice forcing the birds in the trees above to take to their wings. She took several deliberate steps forward, until she stood alongside the object of her affection and rested a hand on Endymion's shoulder. The man didn't so much as blink.

"How does it feel, my dear Princess, to be at fault for the destruction of this man's soul?"

Mars' brow furrowed. She shifted slightly, and her blade was no longer aimed at Endymion, but at both him and Beryl at once. The Queen of the Earth smirked at the crimson warrior.

"I know I failed with you, Mars. But don't think I won't try again. You were a very enjoyable toy. But now, I have another to occupy my time." Her mouth was a crooked grin. "Endymion, get them."

With a frightening speed, the exiled Prince swung his blade. Mars met the attack, but could only hope to defend against strength like that. Her grip on her sword wavered as she battled Endymion's power and she turned her head over her shoulder quickly.

"Run!" It was a simple direction, and all she could spare, and Venus recognized it for what it was.

The golden warrior turned, her hands found Serenity's shoulders, and she pushed her Princess into motion. They didn't have far to go; already, she could see the shining beacon that was one of the Lunarian shuttles, Jupiter's personal craft, streaming its descent through the sky and heading right for them.

The sound of swordplay, two heavy blades slamming into each other mercilessly, fought with the scream of the shuttle's engine as its thrusters slowed its descent. Mars defended against Endymion's advances while slowly and methodically backing herself away from Beryl and towards the safety of the landing shuttle.

The door had no sooner opened when Venus pushed her charge into the craft. Serenity collapsed to her knees on the floor, her small hands balled into fists, tears steaming down her face. Venus ran forward and rushed to Mars' side. While the crimson warrior parried another attack, Venus landed a vicious kick to Endymion's stomach that had the man reeling backwards.

The golden warrior stumbled backwards to the shuttle and pushed Mars inside with a frantic heave before throwing herself inside the opening as the door slid shut. Venus checked Mars over quickly before turning her gaze to her grief stricken Princess. She knew all too well what the young woman was going through. All too well.

"Good timing, Mako-chan, now get us the hell out of here!" Venus barked.

The Venusian rested a reassuring hand on the Princess' shoulder. No words were needed. There was a simple understanding that passed between the two women. Serenity nodded and pulled herself up to look out one of the shuttle's small windows. As the craft's engines hit reverse and they took to the air, Endymion looked up at the departing shuttle with blank, dark eyes.

"I couldn't save him." Serenity sobbed. "I couldn't save him."

"You'll find a way." Venus said softly.

As they ascended into the light of dawn, the Princess of the Moon nodded with fierce determination and wiped away her tears.

* * *

The hallway wasn't good enough.

Venus had established guard duty inside Princess Serenity's antechamber. She would allow her Princess the privacy of her bedroom, but without a visual, she insisted on at least being able to _hear_ where Serenity was. The stricken woman was likely no longer a flight risk, but the leader of the senshi wasn't taking any chances.

Sitting on the floor, Venus straightened her back against the door to the bedroom and blinked her eyes, fighting against the lull of sleep. It had been an exhaustingly long series of days, beginning with Metallia's capture of Mars, and ending with Endymion stuck in the same state.

"I can leave, if this makes you too comfortable."

Venus chuckled at Rei's quiet words and she shook her head. The Martian had _insisted_ on taking guard duty with her, and Rei's strong, quiet presence next to her was a boon to the Venusian.

After their recon mission to Earth, and especially after the battle with Metallia, Rei was reluctant to let either her charge or her lover out of her sight for any extended period of time. She found herself pressed against Venus' side, content to know she was right there; in her vision and in her senses. There was only one way they could be physically closer, but such activities would have to wait. To take her mind off such thoughts, she affected a distant expression, and concentrated on other things.

It was some time later when Venus noticed her partner examining the soft skin of her forearms with no small amount of interest.

"What'cha thinking about?" She asked quietly, so as not to disturb their Princess.

Rei snorted, but didn't turn her gaze from her arms. "It'll sound stupid."

"Try me."

The Martian paused, considering. "I find it strange that even scars I acquired _before_ I became a senshi have healed."

"Ah." Venus said after a moment of thought. "That prayer ritual you mentioned. You told me that the scars had been a part of a prayer for good luck before going into a dangerous battle, right?"

"Un." Rei finally met Venus' gaze. "It's strange to see such a part of myself missing."

"It's still a part of you, Rei. Even if you can't see it." The Martian affected a touched expression, and Venus laid a gentle hand over her partner's heart. "That Martian Priestess I met back on that red planet is still _here_."

With a small puff of breath, Rei allowed for a small, but honest smile before pulling the other woman closer to her.

Despite the darkness that surrounded them, despite the desperate, uncertain times, Venus clung to the many hopes she harbored, all while forming an idea that might lift both their spirits.

* * *

Authors Notes:

_No_. I am not insinuating that Rei was into self-mutilation, and I'm talking about the forearm, not the wrist. More on the prayer ritual in the next chapter. Martians are pretty interesting, so trust me when I say it'll be a fun scene.

This is one of my favorite chapters, so I'd love to know what you guys think about. It. For me, I think it's something about the urgency in this chapter, and the fact that all the major players play some role in that urgency that I like so much. Please leave a review!

Special Thanks:  
Neuro: Go ahead. Read the preview. You know you want to.  
Bruteaous: Thank you. You leave the most wonderful reviews.  
Mels: You're awesome. And thank you for the sketches. People, if you haven't read Mels' stuff, check her out here on ffdotnet, and check out her deviant art site. She's got some great Rei/Minako stuff:  
Scarletlady(dot)deviantart(dot)com  
Vatta: I know how difficult it can be to keep the many stories you're reading separated from one another. How do you think I feel when I'm _writing_ three stories at one time?  
Crimson Blood: Thank you for your kind praise. I know the 'dark senshi' arc tends to be cliché, but I'm glad you liked my take on it. There really are so few original ideas left, but I stand firm on using standard plot devices so long as you can write them well and keep them fresh!

OOO

Preview, Chapter 17: Prayer Ritual

Minako and Rei charged into the room, panting and pale as though they'd traveled far and unexpectedly and were dreading what awaited them. Indeed, Minako had briefed Rei as best she could based on what little she knew, but both women looked worried and confused. No explanation was offered to their late arrival as they took their seats among the rest of the senshi in the warriors' courtyard.

All eyes turned to Pluto, who held a small, wrapped bundle to her chest.

Minako's hand balled into a fist. "Is that-"

"Saturn." Pluto said. It was not lost on the others that the guardian of the time gates was the only one clothed in her senshi fuku.

Pluto pulled back the soft, purple cloth that shrouded Saturn's form. The playful, dark eyes of an infant peered at the many curious faces that gazed at her, and she offered them a bright smile and a quiet gurgle.

Rei lifted an eyebrow at the child in Pluto's arms. "_She's_ the one that heralds the powers of death and rebirth?"

Serenity stood with wide eyes. "The senshi of death and rebirth?"

Somehow, the Martian didn't know whether to be amused or worried that their Princess seemed to know less about Saturn's nature than she did.

Pluto held her quiet bundle and offered Serenity a blank expression. "They are Saturn's given powers." She explained. "She has the ability to destroy planets, even solar systems if need be, but that power also has a balance in an intrinsic ability to begin the cycle of rebirth."

"Destroy and start anew." Michiru's voice was a distant whisper.

"Why have I not heard of her powers before?" Serenity demanded.

"Saturn is not a senshi to trifle with, Princess." Haruka said gruffly.

"She only comes to us when the need for her arises." Pluto said. "Her very existence would be too dangerous otherwise."

Ami narrowed cold eyes on the outer senshi. "You are basically calling her a _tool_."

The senshi of time turned empty, garnet eyes towards the Mercurian and the Princess. "That's because she _is_."


	17. Chapter 17

A Single Voice  
Chapter 17: Prayer Ritual  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Mercury paused after opening the door to Serenity's antechamber. She knew Venus' tired, yet alert gaze had already lighted on her; their senshi powers allowed for heightened senses, but she still felt like an intruder, despite the fact that it was her turn for guard duty.

Rei lay curled into an impossibly tiny ball, her back to the Princess' door, her head and shoulders nestled in Venus' lap, her arms twined possessively around the golden warrior's long legs. Mercury had never seen the Martian look so small and insignificant, and she was reminded that even the fiercest warriors needed rest and reassurance, too.

Mercury smiled at her leader and spoke in hushed tones. "I'll take over from here. Go get some rest."

Venus nodded thankfully. With the last of her reserves, she gathered Rei in her arms, and using the surge of strength her planetary powers allowed, she lifted her second in command off the floor and pulled her to her chest without even waking her; her long, raven hair nearly brushing against the floor as the Venusian walked forward.

She stopped next to Mercury, and a mischievous smile touched Venus' lips. "What do you know about the Martian Prayer ritual?" She asked quietly.

The Mercurian's brows met as she thought. "A self-sacrificing tribute offered before running head-long into an often hopeless battle?"

Venus smirked. "Yup. That must be the one."

"I'll have to brush up on my knowledge..." Venus raised a finely arched eyebrow and Mercury smiled widely. "I'll have a detailed report ready for your review immediately following my shift."

The Venusian smiled broadly. "Excellent. Thank you, Ami-chan."

* * *

Serenity poked her head out her bedroom door. She looked into her antechamber with bloodshot eyes that blinked in response to the many lights that burned brightly.

"Jupiter?" She asked.

The senshi of lightening nodded and stepped forward. "Venus and Mercury have come and gone. You've been resting nearly an entire day."

Serenity nodded distantly. "And there's been no-"

"No, Princess." Jupiter would not meet her gaze. "There's been no word from Earth."

The Princess suppressed a shudder. She looked to her Jovian warrior with cold, blue eyes. She set Endymion's silent communicator on a table next to the door. It would do her no good now.

"Take me to the courtyard." She demanded. "I need more training."

This, Jupiter could relate to.

* * *

The Sailor Teleport left their bodies tingling. They had traveled an exceptionally long distance, hopping from point to point through the outer solar system to reach their final destination through space and even time, and the effort had severely drained all three travelers.

On this inhospitable planet, an insatiable wind howled, blowing dust and small stones across an otherwise smooth and eerily barren terrain that gave under their feet as though the ground might not exist at all. A thick, heavy atmosphere pushed down on them and the banded clouds above shifted in earthen tones to the rhythm of the merciless winds.

"There's no access point here." Neptune's cobalt eyes lingered on a whirling, hexagonal vortex that spun madly in a wide arc across the bowed edge of the sky.

"Of course not." Uranus spat. The winds on this planet would not calm, not even for its avatar. "Why bother sending youma to Saturn? There's nothing here for them to destroy but destruction itself!"

"Uranus," Neptune scolded her partner and fell in behind Sailor Pluto, who held her time staff before her like a sounding tool.

"Your talismans," Pluto said simply, "They will guide us."

Neptune and Uranus exchanged weary glances. The senshi of the seas withdrew a small, handled mirror that she held before her, reflective side out, with a wavering grip. With a dour scowl, the senshi of the wind drew a jeweled sword from its sheath with a white knuckled grip.

The three weapons resonated with an ancient power and drew their users forward despite two of the three senshi's reservations on the implications of their use.

As the three warriors were guided forward, the temperature of Saturn's pole acted in reverse to the norms and its temperature steadily increased as they neared exact center. This planet created its own heat. It was not a comforting thought.

Finally, the women let their talismans fall to their sides. They were deadly weapons in their own right, but their actual purpose for their existence had been fulfilled.

"There." Pluto said flatly.

Three sets of eyes lighted on a small, cloth wrapped bundle, set with no particular distinction on the smooth surface under the whirling vortex's dark eyewall. In this space, no wind blew. The air was still and quiet.

Neptune stepped closer to Uranus. "But she's…"

"Just a child." The Uranian finished her partner's sentence.

With great care, and with what seemed a great familiarity, Pluto stepped forward. Picking the small bundle up off the ground, she cradled the dark haired infant to her chest.

"She's _always_ just a child." She said quietly.

* * *

Outside the city reaches, Rei surveyed the grassy plains that she and Minako had visited on several occasions.

"Why are we here?" She asked, her curious gaze lighting on a pile of firewood that had been precariously stacked in the middle of a circle, the golden, waist high grasses trodden flat and obviously prepared in advance.

Minako smiled enigmatically and pointedly ignored the question. She released her partner's hand, her index and middle fingers lingering on the other woman's palm until the last possible moment, and then she forged forward to the pile of firewood. Sinking to her knees, she sat in seiza, and began to chant.

It had been quite some time since she'd used the Martian language, and the words felt as harsh and gritty as the red sands themselves had when she had first met the barbarian warrior who now stood behind her with wide amethyst eyes and a gaping mouth.

In the course tongue, Minako prayed to the beneficiaries of the savage planet of Mars. She prayed to the gods and goddesses of war and battle. She implored them for their protection on the battlefield, for strength and advantage against their enemies, for an increased element of surprise, and for endurance in the face of unmatchable odds.

She prayed on behalf of the senshi, for the Moon and her Kingdom, and even for the Earth.

She prayed for the gods' and goddess' favors to get them through a future battle that might well take their lives.

And as she prayed, Rei gathered herself, her look of awe slowly fading; after all, should she really be so surprised that Minako would honor her in such a touching fashion as to recite a sorely needed ritual?

Echoing Minako's words, her voice a deep tenor to the Venusian's quiet, lilting one, Rei finally joined her leader. Minako's form straightened as the slightly taller woman knelt behind her, pressed her front to Minako's back, raised her arms parallel to the ground alongside the Venusian's, and rested her chin on Minako's right shoulder as they petitioned the Martian gods together.

The prayer drew to a guttural close, but the ritual itself was just beginning. Minako reached forward. Her fingers bypassed a ceremonial blade that lay in the grass, and she picked up two slivers of magnesium marbled rock, a specialty of Mars' surface.

With shaky hands, no thanks to her lover's hot breath that tickled her ear, Minako struck the two pieces of stone together repeatedly to no avail. She frowned then, and tried harder, striking the two stones together harder and faster. She was not rewarded with fire, but with an amused chuckle in her ear.

"Here." The Martian's voice was felt as much as it was heard, and Rei's hand drifted from Minako's waist and reached for the tinder that laced the firewood. She splayed her fingers open, and a small flame was born from her palm, igniting the tinder and starting the fire.

"Isn't that cheating?" Minako asked with a tempered smile.

Rei chuckled into Minako's golden locks. "I don't think the gods will mind."

They waited for the fire to establish itself, the growing flames popping and flickering in a soft breeze that rolled off the white capped mountain range of Montes Haemus to the north. The Venusian used the distraction of Rei's body pressed against hers to take her mind off the pins and needles forming in her legs caused by sitting on them.

She waited until the fire was roaring before them, and with a small nod, she reached next for the ceremonial knife; a short, black blade with a serrated tip and a simple, wooden handle. She grasped the rough hilt with her left hand and raised her right arm before her, hovering dangerously close above the dancing flames. Slowly, she touched the blade's serrated edge to the soft skin of her inner arm.

Rei's restraining hand on her left wrist stopped Minako before the blade could bite her flesh.

The Martian's voice was soft and quiet. "You don't have to do this."

Minako chuckled softly. "I know Venusians are superficial, but even if the wound wouldn't heal itself on its own, the scar wouldn't matter to me."

"I know it wouldn't, Mina," Rei buried her head in the Venusian's golden hair, "but it's enough that you've done this much for me."

"I want to do this, Rei. Let's finish this _together_, ne?"

After a short pause, the Martian nodded. She shifted her grip from around the woman's wrist to splay her fingers around her hand. Her teeth found the junction of Minako's neck and shoulder, and the small nip she gave her served as a welcome distraction as she guided the knife until its blade gently bit into the soft flesh of Minako's forearm.

An age old Martian tradition tied to another ritual, the scent of her lover's blood burning in the sacred flame imprinted itself in Rei's memory. She licked the spot she'd bitten as she guided Minako's hand and repeated the action on her own arm, not taking such gentle precautions with her own body. With a pop and a sizzle, her blood joined the flame.

With a soft sigh, both women retracted their arms from the heat above the flames. Rei pulled Minako closer to her, and the Venusian leaned back into the Martian.

The prayer ritual had ended.

The Martian was filled with a mixture of pride and release by the gesture Minako had offered. Since her arrival on the Moon, she'd been so busy and stressed that she had gradually drifted away from the traditions that had compromised her life as a Martian Priestess. To return to them, with the one she loved, was a sorely needed retreat that gave her a hope she hadn't realized had faded.

Even with all these thoughts, all the raw emotion that had built up inside her, Rei still couldn't find a better way to express herself than with a single, choked phrase.

"Thank you."

Minako turned her torso to gaze at her partner, and her bright smile told the Martian that she understood the deeper sentiment that was hidden behind the simple words. And her laugh was melodious. "My people have nothing like this. The Venusians have a lax, free society and we don't hold any traditions like that. It was gratifying for me, too. It was remarkably simple for such an important prayer."

Rei all but shrugged. "It's the thought that counts, not the ritual or even the words."

"On Venus, we rely on pomp and circumstance. I like your way better."

"That sounds traitorous, coming from the Princess of Venus." Rei smirked mischievously. "Are you telling me to make you a Martian?"

The fire in Minako's eye rivaled that which she saw in her partner's. "I'm telling you to make me _yours_."

Rei smiled, and with a moment's distraction, she looked down to her arm. She was unsurprised to find the fresh wound already quickly fading, and this time, she wasn't quite so disappointed to see her senshi powers at work. She looked to her lover then, and with a glint in her amethyst eyes that replaced the awe and reverence she had felt for Minako moments earlier, the Martian passionately claimed the Venusian's lips before pressing her to the ground possessively.

* * *

Minako and Rei charged into the room, panting and pale as though they'd traveled far and unexpectedly and were dreading what awaited them. Indeed, Minako had briefed Rei as best she could, based on what little she knew, but both women looked worried and confused. No explanation was offered to their late arrival as they took their seats among the rest of the senshi in the warriors' courtyard.

All eyes turned to Pluto, who held a small, wrapped bundle to her chest.

Minako's hand balled into a fist. "Is that-"

"Saturn." Pluto said. It was not lost on the others that the guardian of the time gates was the only one clothed in her senshi fuku; an added layer of protection against the baby in her arms.

Pluto pulled back the soft, purple cloth that shrouded Saturn's form. The playful, dark eyes of an infant peered at the many curious faces that gazed at her, and she offered them a bright smile and a quiet gurgle.

Rei lifted an eyebrow at the child in Pluto's arms. "_She's_ the one that heralds the powers of death and rebirth?"

Serenity stood with wide eyes. "The senshi of death and rebirth?"

Somehow, the Martian didn't know whether to be amused or worried that their Princess seemed to know less about Saturn's nature than she did.

Pluto held her quiet bundle and offered Serenity a blank expression. "They are Saturn's given powers." She explained. "She has the ability to destroy planets, even solar systems if need be, but that power also has a balance in an intrinsic ability to begin the cycle of rebirth."

"Destroy and start anew." Michiru's voice was a distant whisper.

"Why have I not heard of her powers before?" Serenity demanded.

"Saturn is not a senshi to trifle with, Princess." Haruka said gruffly.

"She only comes to us when the need for her arises." Pluto said. "Her very existence would be too dangerous otherwise."

Ami narrowed cold eyes on the outer senshi. "You are basically calling her a _tool_."

The senshi of time turned empty, garnet eyes towards the Mercurian and the Princess. "That's because she _is_."

"Then how do you plan on using her?" Minako's question hung heavily in the air. The outers and the decisions they made were outside her jurisdiction, but she had the final say on any plan that might impact the Princess of the Moon Kingdom, and any plan involving Saturn certainly met that criteria.

Haruka frowned in Pluto's general direction. "We don't know yet." She answered truthfully.

"When all hope is lost, Saturn will awaken." Michiru's voice was haunted, and she gazed at her talisman sadly, as though she regretted the formidable weapon's very existence.

"But she's just a helpless baby! How can you put such a responsibility on her?" The Princess tried for reason in the face of a situation that didn't begin to make the least amount of sense.

"She will age rapidly as the need for her power nears. When she has grown strong enough to wield the Silence Glaive, she will know what to do."

Serenity was not placated by this answer, no matter how reasonable a woman Pluto appeared to be.

"None of this is very fair." Resigned, Serenity nearly pouted, but found that none of her warriors could seem to make eye contact with her. She refused to feed off their fear and trepidation, despite the sheer amount of it that permeated the room.

The Princess stepped forward then, her bare feet padding softly on the thick rug beneath her toes. "Can I… hold her?" She asked.

Pluto looked to her with uncertain eyes but offered no resistance when Serenity's slim arms carefully lifted the child from her arms. Serenity pulled the infant to her chest with a gentle smile.

Garnet eyes watched the Princess with a great amount of wonder. She watched the pair with only one, listless thought, _'Even her mother refused to hold Saturn, all those millennia ago. Is this _her_ power?'_

The thoughts of the others weren't far off from Pluto's mark. Openly amazed eyes gazed at their Princess, carefully cradling the infant in confident arms. It seemed silly for them to be afraid of a baby girl when Serenity would welcome the now cooing and giggling child into comforting, open arms, and each of the senshi, inner and outer alike, were reminded of just what and who it was they were fighting for.

'_Her black hair and dark eyes,'_ Serenity lamented, _'it reminds me of Endymion.'_

She smiled sweetly, and hugged the infant closer to her chest, and they stayed that way for what seemed like forever, and perhaps it was, because her warriors had nearly had to pry Saturn from her arms, for the time for sleep had come and gone.

One by one, and with no words spoken, the rest of the senshi dispersed, and soon, only Rei and Minako were left in the senshi's courtyard.

In the wake of the others, the Martian couldn't help but notice how heavy the mantle of leader weighed on Minako's slim shoulders. The golden haired woman stared out a window halfway across the room distantly. Rei had to make a conscious effort not to let the fear and distress that rolled off the Venusian's aura seep into her own.

But she could and she would help ease her partner any way she could. She left the rigid, upright seat she had claimed during the meeting and approached Minako where she reclined on a chaise lounge. All too eager for the Martian's quiet form of reassurance, Minako wordlessly let Rei slip behind her and silently hold her, one arm lightly slung over the Venusian's hip.

Minako shut her eyes then, and Rei hoped the stressed woman would succumb to some much needed rest. She dutifully kept her eyes open, intent on keeping watch for any distraction that might disturb her partner and leader.

Long after Rei had hoped the Venusian had fallen asleep, Minako finally spoke in a broken whisper, "There's no turning back now, is there?"

"No." Rei replied simply. There was no use sugar coating a false reality. "War is inevitable."

The golden haired woman turned her torso to find Rei's unreadable amethyst eyes. The Martian distractedly brushed Minako's bangs from her forehead.

"Rei, can you see anything? Anything that would help us? Anything about that child?"

The Martian shook her head. "No. Nothing about the girl."

"But that premonition you had, back on Earth… you knew Endymion would attack Serenity, even though you weren't sure if it was a premonition at all. You're the only one who can still see into the future. Not even Setsuna or Michiru can do it anymore."

Rei shrugged. "Maybe it's because my powers are more spiritual in nature than they are dependant on my senshi powers." Her brow furrowed, and she stared into the distance. "In any case, even if I can still do it, it's unpredictable, unreliable, and it," her dark pupils dilated and she frowned, "it can't… be… controlled…"

"Rei?" Minako asked, but she knew the tell tale body language too well. "Rei!"

The woman's body went eerily rigid, her breathing all but stopped and her complexion blanched, turning her face as white as chalk. She was only out for split seconds, but it had been far too long for the Venusian. When Minako went to see to her partner's welfare, Rei brushed her off, grabbing Minako's hands by the wrists and pressing her forehead to the other woman's.

Rei's panicked voice was a hoarse whisper. "Don't… hesitate!"

"What?" The word fell limply off Minako's tongue, for the contact of Rei's touch brought the frightening realization of what the Martian had seen.

_The basalt pavers of the courtyard were torn and broken; the marble walls of the palace were shattered and toppled. The ancient oak which Rei had sought solace under too many times was charred and blackened. _

_In the courtyard, amidst jagged chunks of stone and upturned concrete, three warriors faced off against too many youma, and in the courtyard's center, one other warrior; a golden soldier, faced off against a red haired woman. But it was the force behind that woman, a shapeless, dark energy that towered over all._

_They had both seen this premonition before. But time had passed, and they'd seen and done much in the interim, and the hazy, uncertain figures could no longer be mistaken. It was Venus and Beryl who faced off against each other, and it was Metallia who hovered powerfully in the background. _

_The golden warrior charged her opponent, her sword held high, and Beryl launched herself forward. Her attacks were fast and brutal, and Venus could do little more than defend and skitter backwards on panicked feet. She intrinsically knew that the strength and speed Beryl used was not her own. _

_The din of the fighting around her rose to a decibel that was impossible for even her to ignore, and she was vaguely aware of her warriors falling. Had they all fallen? Venus looked over her shoulder. The dark form of one of her warriors lay on the ground, nearly torn in two. She couldn't see clearly enough, but it was not for lack of proximity or want; her vision was merely clouded._

_Beryl didn't give her the opportunity to pursue and she forged forward in a wild lunge. Venus turned back to the charging woman and the golden warrior hesitated. If she didn't react right now, she'd be run through by Beryl's sword._

_And she was._

Both Rei and Minako gasped deep strangled breaths of ones who had been held under water for too long. Clawing at each other, seeking reassurance that the other was still very much intact and alive, they were slow to recover from the nightmare image they'd seen.

"Was it-" Minako gasped, "was it a premonition?"

"It _could_ have been." Rei said through gritted teeth. "I don't know anymore!"

"The battle, the carnage, the _death_-"

The Martian shook her partner's shoulders. "It won't happen if you don't _hesitate_!"

The Venusian shook her clouded head. "But something… something made me pause. Something I couldn't see clearly."

Rei frowned. "No! No. Don't look into it too hard. Don't think about it. It might not have been a premonition at all."

The Martian sighed one more deep breath and forced herself into a state of calm, urging Minako to follow suit as she pulled the other woman against her once more. "Even Pluto said the time stream was confused, that she couldn't get a clear reading. We shouldn't jump the gun on this."

The golden haired woman's uncertain eyes narrowed. "Then we don't tell the others?"

"No."

The Martian's resolute certainty seemed to placate Minako to some amount, and she finally relaxed her body against Rei's familiar form, forcing her heartbeat to slow to a more reasonable pace until it finally fell into rhythm with that of her partner's.

For a brief moment, in the silence that wasn't completely comfortable, the two women debated whether or not to tell the other a particular fact that weighed heavily on each of their minds. Rei, harboring the knowledge of what it was that had distracted the golden warrior, and Minako, the eerily distinct feeling that she hadn't _meant_ to hesitate at all.

Minako was the first to speak, but it wasn't the words that were on her tongue. She settled for a different sentiment.

"We should cherish what time we have together." She said quietly.

Rei tightened her hold around the Venusian. "I already do that, every second of the day."

Minako allowed for a sad smile and leaned into her lover and her second in command, and the two women settled into an uninterrupted silence once again.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I was a little worried about the Martian prayer ritual at first, and I ran that snippet past the folks at docspace to make sure it wasn't all: "Oh noes! Rei and Minako are cutters!!11!" I was looking for some kind of ritual that Martians might participate in, something that would both bring Rei and Minako closer, and draw parallels in Rei's senshi's powers that she still hadn't come to terms with.

I hope I struck a balance between fluff and reality in this chapter. It'd been such a long time since I'd written it, and I've been writing much darker fiction in the meantime, that the amount of waff in this chapter took me by surprise!

Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!

Special thanks to:

Sporadic and Neuo: leave it to you two to find my plot holes. . Good job!  
Bomichan: if I've never praised your creative use of analogies, let me do so now. Saturn can be a tricky character. I think it's easy to turn her into nothing more than a plot device, but I hope as you continue to see her in later chapters, that she's less a tool and more a part of the story, and indeed, one of the girls.  
Mels! Thank you! I think Beryl is a lot more enjoyable to write when she's not purely evil villain. All bad guys are bad guys for a reason, and half the fun is to explore why they are that way.  
Krampus: I aim for parallels, except for the big one at the end. Thank you for your praise!  
Crimson Blood: It sounds like you and I saw the same things out of Rei and Minako's relationship.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 18: First Line of Defense

Their resident genius suddenly went very, very pale.

"Ami, Ami, are you alright?" Makoto was at her side at a moments notice, kneeling next to the smaller woman where she sat at the end of a long couch in the senshi courtyard, her legs folded underneath her as she busily analyzed several windows on her computer.

Minako spun her long legs off Rei's lap and sat up. Haruka and Michiru left their tentative posts in the back of the room and came forward. Setsuna quietly slipped in through the door as if summoned, and took a seat near the room's wide bank of windows inconspicuously.

"Ami-chan?" Makoto prompted worriedly.

"The youma," the Mercurian's voice threatened to betray her, "They're on the move. They're leaving the pole and heading south – straight for us!"

Minako jumped to her feet. She lifted her wrist and hailed the Moon's tacticians, shouting orders through her communicator. "Move the armies out _now_!" She barked.

The voice on the other end of her communicator was slow and confused. _"But… to where, Venus-sama?"_

"Just send them north!"


	18. Chapter 18

A Single Voice  
Chapter 18: First Line of Defense  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Their resident genius suddenly went very, very pale.

"Ami, Ami, are you alright?" Makoto was at her side at a moments notice, kneeling next to the smaller woman where she sat at the end of a long couch, her legs folded underneath her as she busily analyzed several windows on her computer.

Minako spun her long legs off Rei's lap and sat up. Haruka and Michiru left their tentative posts in the back of the room and came forward. Setsuna quietly slipped in through the door as if summoned, and took a seat near a wide bank of windows inconspicuously.

"Ami-chan?" Makoto asked worriedly.

"The youma," the Mercurian's voice threatened to betray her, "They're on the move. They're leaving the pole and heading south – straight for us!"

Minako jumped to her feet. She lifted her wrist and hailed the Moon's tacticians, shouting orders through her communicator. "Move the armies out _now_!" She barked.

The voice on the other end of her communicator was slow and confused. _"But… to where, Venus-sama?"_

"Just send them north! The youma are marching down from the pole!"

An indeterminate number of voices on the other end of the communicator exploded in a flurry of questions and exclamations. Minako cut the transmission and lowered her hand slowly. It hung limply at her side for several moments before she turned back to face her team.

"The Moon's army will meet the threat with us. What little of their armies the other planets could spare will march with them to defend the Palace."

Ami's ashen face regained some amount of color. Her fingers flew over her incorporeal keyboard. "According to my numbers, the odds are five to one, youma advantage. If the Earth sends… _when_ the Earth sends their human army, there's no telling how that number will change."

With a pursed brow, Makoto stood and turned towards her leader. "What of the armies of Jupiter?" She looked to Haruka's avoidant gaze. "And Uranus? They should have ample warriors to spare. They could have them here-"

"Even those great armies have been drastically reduced." Minako said bitterly. "The forces they could spare away from the youma invasion on their own territories have already gathered and are supplementing the Moon's as we speak."

Haruka leveled a hard gaze at the other warriors. "We're already fighting at full capacity."

An uncomfortable silence threatened to smother the women, the ugly reminder that it wasn't just the Moon that was suffering at the hands of the Earth, but that the planets each of them called home were also slowly losing to the threat of the youma that took the lives and energy of innocents for the sake of Metallia's cause.

"But our armies have _us_." Makoto's good-natured chuckle wavered. Her smile was forced. "That's gotta count for something, ne?"

Minako's voice was uncharacteristically dour. She turned her back on her warriors. "But the Terrans have _Metallia_."

Rei frowned. The Martian stood and crossed the distance that separated her from her commander. She stood, shoulder to shoulder with the Venusian, offering silent reassurance as they gazed out the bank of windows to the white capped mountain range of Montes Haemus and the perceived challenges that lay beyond them to the north.

Haruka cracked her knuckles. Michiru looked to Setsuna. The outers shared a meaningful look. There was no doubt that they would join forces with the inners.

"Wait." Haruka's voice was a sudden whisper. Her gaze trailed out the window for a moment, and then she frowned. She dropped to the ground abruptly, crouched on one leg with a knee to the floor, and splayed her hand open on the stone beneath her feet.

Several stories up, the floor of the Palace began to shake.

It was slow at first, a gentle rumble, a subtle horizontal shifting of the floors and walls. It gradually began to increase.

Princess Serenity stumbled out of her room from the end of the hall, a panicked expression on her expressive face as she dashed to join her guardians in their courtyard.

"What's going on?" She cried, finding safety between Ami, still furiously typing at her computer, and Makoto, who stood behind her at the ready.

There was no time for explanations. The senshi found themselves moving towards their Princess, forming a loose circle around her. The clear skies seen through the large windows darkened. A haze covered the consistently clear, thin atmosphere of the Moon. Makoto frowned. A lightening storm rolled in off the horizon, boasting deadly, blue-white forks of electricity that carried a deafening thunder in its wake. The lights in the room dimmed slightly, and the electric candelabras flickered.

Then, silence. And as soon as the phenomenon had begun, it stopped. The rumbling in the Palace ceased. The dark clouds broke up. The thunder became distant.

"Effects of the Sun?" Minako asked.

Ami never once pulled her attention from her computer. "Doubtlessly."

"Metallia." Michiru's voice was quiet. "She's ramping up her power."

Serenity's white knuckled grip on Ami's shirt loosened and her senshi dispersed only slightly.

Reports came streaming into Ami's computer, windows tiling on top of each other in rapid succession. "Sunspot activity is ramping up dramatically." She barked. "We're not alone in this. The other planets, especially those closest to the Sun, are experiencing the same kinds of tremors and more. Volcanism on Venus is turning their atmosphere sooty. A planet-wide winter is a very real possibility there. Sandstorms on Mars have nearly buried what few stationary cities they have. Mercury is…" Ami paused momentarily and reread one of her reports with narrowed eyes. "Mercury's surface is being _scorched_ by errant sunspots."

"Anything from the Earth?" Haruka avoided Serenity's gaze and locked hazel eyes on Minako. "That coward Beryl couldn't even announce her attack?"

"It doesn't matter." The Venusian spat. "She won't be far behind the youma. This attack will be just the first wave."

Rei balled her hands into fists. "War has begun."

* * *

Serenity disliked it when her senshi felt the need to post a personal guard at her door.

She disliked it even more when that guard was not one of her trusted warriors, but an entire troop of the Moon's army that had been assigned to protect her.

'_Those guards should be aiding the rest of the army, either guarding the Palace and its peoples or rushing out with the rest of the army to help my senshi battle back the youma, not standing uselessly outside my bedroom door.'_

She clutched at a child in her arms. No longer an infant, Saturn had rapidly aged into a toddler, and had been left in her _protection_.

Serenity snorted. She knew the excuse was a finely disguised ploy to keep her from insisting that she be allowed to fight alongside her senshi. It bothered her that regardless of the effort she'd thrown into training both her mind and her body in order to help them protect everything she held dear, she knew her guardians would never allow her to join them in battle.

Still, Serenity found herself taking no small amount of comfort in Saturn's small, chubby hands that held a death grip on the loose shoulders of her dress. The girl burbled incoherently with a wide smile that boasted the tips of two small, white teeth that were just beginning to cut through the toddler's gums. The warmth of the child in her arms was a small boon to ease the anxiety and fear Serenity felt for the safety and welfare of each of her senshi, and the lives of the thousands of warriors from the Moon and beyond who rushed to join them in battle.

The Princess poured her nervous energy into the entertainment of her young charge. Sitting with her legs crossed underneath her, Serenity sank to the plush, carpeted floor and held the child in her lap, letting the little girl face her. Those chubby fingers tangled in Serenity's long hair and gave a solid yank. The Princess smiled indulgently and pulled her prized locks from sticky fingers and tossed her long pigtails over her shoulder. Saturn pouted at the older woman with dark, mournful eyes.

Serenity chuckled. "And you would fight on behalf of us all?" Her voice was an astonished whisper, but it silenced the small child who watched her attentively.

"I would not have it be so." The Princess brushed dark, feathered bangs from Saturn's forehead. "I would not have you fight while I hide under the protection of my mother. I would fight as fiercely and as passionately as my senshi… if not nearly as _well_ as any of them."

The little girl in the Princess' lap uttered an amused giggle, and she toppled forward into Serenity's chest where slim arms closed loosely around her.

"You are too precious. I would fight in your stead, little Saturn."

The toddler went still and pulled back from the Princess. An unreadable emotion swirled in her dark eyes.

"What?" Serenity asked with a self conscious chuckle. "Little Saturn? Is that it?" She asked leadingly. "Why, that doesn't suit a beautiful little child at all. What should we call you?"

Serenity placed a finger to her chin and gave the thought ample consideration while examining the bright little girl in her lap. Finally, a smile tugged at her lips. Like a mirror image, the young girl mimicked the action.

"Hotaru." She said proudly. "I will call you Hotaru." Serenity ruffled the girl's short, thick hair and pointed to herself. "Hotaru-chan, my name is Serenity."

Hotaru's forehead scrunched and she bit at her bottom lip with her two small teeth. "Ser… Ser…"

The Princess' cobalt eyes went wide at the child's attempt to speak. At first she thought it was merely her over active imagination, but it felt like the child in her lap was getting heavier_. 'Is she growing? Is she turning into the weapon she was born to be?'_

"Ser… Sere…"

Serenity laughed brightly. "That's okay. Just call me onee-chan, Hotaru. I'll be your big sister."

The child smiled widely. "Onee!" She exclaimed proudly.

Even as the Princess of the Moon fought back traitorous tears and pulled Saturn closer for a hug, she felt the girl's body lengthen, caught in the throes of a growth spurt, and Serenity found herself cursing both their fates.

* * *

A sailor teleport shared between the group of eight senshi resulted in a minimal power drain, and despite the fact that each of the women were ready and rearing to fight, they were discouraged to find that the youma had made such progress away from the pole.

As they had suspected, the enemy had taken the middle ground to avoid coming over the tall mountains that bordered the Sea of Serenity. They had traveled through Mares Frigoris and skirted through the lowlands in between Plato Crater and the Montes Alpes. At this point, as the monsters streamed into the low plains, all that separated them from the Palace of the Moon Kingdom on the other side of the Sea of Serenity was the weak point between Montes Apenninus and Montes Caucasus, a sizable break in the mountain range that bordered the sea.

The feat would have been simple for such a large force, and the Palace would have been easy pickings had it not been for the eight women that stood their ground across the mouth of the narrow pass.

The constant rumbling that was the combined product of tens of thousands of footfalls belonging to the heavy, cumbersome monsters rolled down off the mountains. White clouds of frosty dust hung closely on the northern horizon, stirred into the air by the youma. The first of their numbers were already marching towards the break in the mountains.

With steely gazes, the senshi turned to one other.

"The Moon's armies won't be too far behind us." Venus said plainly. "We should expect them to reinforce our offensive shortly."

Uranus laughed heartily and gestured to the marching youma. "What, you think we can't take care of this on our own?"

Mars nearly chuckled. "I rather _like_ being the first line of defense."

Jupiter cracked her knuckles. Electricity nearly flowed off of her in visible waves. "You and me both." She growled.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Pluto warned, "The consequences would be disastrous."

"Team up," Venus instructed, "Fight smart, and don't stray too far. This shouldn't be too far removed from our past encounters with these things." The leader of the senshi drew a line in the fine silt of the dusty ground. "We attack anything we can, guarding the area around the pass. When the Moon's army arrives, they'll reinforce us on all sides and help us to drive the youma back until we can more easily protect the pass. The more of them we take out, the better the odds become once our armies show up."

"The youma have noted our arrival, but they aren't slowing down." Mercury said coldly. She dismissed the blue visor that had shielded her eyes as the youma streamed into the low plains. They were still several kilometers away, but their numbers were forming a solid wall of enemies that flowed across the land.

Neptune examined the threat with her mirror. "Don't forget their weak points. Aim to kill, and then kill the next."

The Uranian turned towards her partner and cracked a toothy grin. "I _love_ it when you talk battle, Michiru."

Venus huffed loudly, disturbing her golden bangs. "_Honestly_," she joked, "maybe you two should be split up."

Uranus smiled broadly and slapped the golden warrior on the shoulder. "Are you ready to lead this charge?"

The Venusian nodded and winked, and together, the inner senshi and the outer senshi sprinted forward across the open plains to meet the youma threat head on.

--

A sea of beady red eyes and brown, lumbering bodies, the front lines of the monsters never even slowed down as the senshi attacks hit their first ranks. Elemental blasts slammed into the first lines of marching youma, and at least a hundred of the creatures were taken out instantly. They seemed unsurprised by the sudden offensive, and ignored the threat, marching forward, always forward, stomping over the dying bodies and slaughtered remains of their fallen brethren until they met the senshi resistance and were forced to fight in closer combat.

Venus and Mars were one hundred percent murderous intent, and when they combined their attacks, throwing light and flame in the form of long range weapons, the two fierce women could easily fell a dozen youma at a time. When pressed against each other, back to back in close range combat, they were no less deadly and effective, executing tireless hand to hand combat techniques with swords and elemental weapons, slaying and slaughtering as they went.

Mercury and Jupiter were also a formidable pair; what Mercury lacked in strength, she made up for with strategy, and when paired with her partner, the two could effectively wipe out just as many of the snarling, slobbering monsters with a combination of brute force on behalf of the tall Jovian, and careful aim on behalf of the small Mercurian.

The outer senshi fought as a three man team. Their advanced techniques, compliments of their powerful talismans, produced attacks that, when properly coordinated, could fell nearly twice as many youma at once as the inners combined. The Uranian's brash recklessness and sheer power and strength produced deadly effective close range attacks and it was all the Neptunian could do to keep an eye out to make sure Uranus didn't get overwhelmed, and would send wide ranged water based attacks to drown any number of youma who dared to get too close to her partner. Although her staff was exceptionally efficient in close range combat, Pluto also possessed a long range attack, which, at her whispered command, would slam into the ranks of youma and eliminate a dozen of the disgusting monsters at once.

But for all their bravado and initial cry for war, twenty minutes into the fighting, even the senshi were beginning to tire. They couldn't hope to push back the youma horde on their own; the odds were simply stacked against them. For every monster they slaughtered, three more took its place. The creatures surged over the corpses of their dead heedlessly, constantly attacking the senshi with fresh bodies, and it was all the warriors of the Moon Kingdom could do hold their ground.

Attacks became sloppy. Elemental powers weakened. Morale plummeted.

A set of claws raked across Venus' upper left arm and chest, even as she plunged her sword through a youma skull. She hadn't the time to staunch the bleeding, for another monster was coming at her. She stole a glance at her partner. Mars's right thigh was torn open and she sported an ugly gash above her right eye. Blood was dripping into the socket, but it didn't seem to affect her as she pressed fiery hands to the rough skin of one of Metallia's minions and ignited its body into flame.

Satisfied that her second in command was all right, all things considered, Venus performed a visual on the rest of her warriors and the outer senshi as well, even as she choked her newest attacker with the scalding light of her love me chain. The others fared equally as bad as she and her partner. They all bore the wounds of battle, and all their performance was suffering in the face of exhaustion.

It was a horn that grabbed Venus' attention. A strange thing to hear amid the sea of the pulsing bodies of the enemy and the blasts of the senshi's elemental attacks, but it was a sound that reminded her of home; a Venusian battlecry. And if she listened closely enough, she could hear the steady beating of foreign drums on the horizon.

Her hands tingled as she electrocuted yet another youma, and Jupiter went stock-still. She shot her eyes to her leader. "The drums!" she exclaimed, "Jupiter's army!"

Mars pressed her back to Venus' and the two women battled four youma who rushed them simultaneously. All four were all dispatched in the blink of an eye. The golden warrior almost laughed. "And Venus' too! Reinforcements are on the way!"

Through the pass that stood in the weak point between Montes Apenninus and Montes Caucasus that the senshi guarded, a colorful and diverse combination of many armies ran with reckless abandon to aide the eight warriors. The senshi soon found themselves flanked on all sides by fresh, able bodied warriors, and the troops' enthusiasm and vigor only helped to recharge them and spur them to fight harder.

Sudden, powerful, long range attacks consisting of explosive, laser guided projectiles were compliments of the small force Mercury had been able to spare, but what they lacked in numbers, their weapons could annihilate untold numbers of the monsters. They aimed for the back ranks to avoid hitting any of the other warriors with friendly fire.

Not to be one-upped, Venus had sent a small cavalry, and bare chested, tanned warriors on tall, white horses charged into the youma ranks with swords raised and horns blowing. Jupiter boasted a sizable force, and their long haired, leather and metal clad warriors jumped into the fray alongside the senshi, swinging spears and swords, fearless in the face of the hideous enemy. What little force Mars had been able to spare joined their savage brethren. Clad in their desert robes, these warriors resembled banshees as they dodged and twirled with double swords and deadly intent.

Uranus had sent many warriors. Light on foot but heavy on strength, these fighters were ruthless and methodical, constantly forging forward in controlled formations. From afar, Neptune's archers sent volleys of arrows into hostile territory, far away from the united warriors of the Moon Kingdom, and their seers were doubtlessly assisting the Moon's tacticians.

The last to arrive, but by far the largest in number, the army of the Moon poured through the pass. Resplendent in silver trimmed, white uniforms, for all their impeccable appearance, these warriors were deadly fighters who attacked tirelessly with precision and fine tuned strength.

Slowly, the tides were turned. The youma were pushed back, further and further away from the heavily guarded pass. The armies of the Moon Kingdom, led by the eight senshi, advanced. Hope shone brightly.

But then, a horn blared, differing in it's pitch than the one before it. Venus looked up. This was no battlecry. "No," she whispered, trusting Mars to pick up her slack while she stood tall to get a better view of the battlefield.

"Minako?" Mars questioned, as she effortlessly slaughtered a youma who hadn't retreated fast enough.

"Reinforcements." The golden warrior said detachedly.

The Martian looked behind her. "We don't _need_ more reinforcements."

"No," the Venusian shook her head, _"Humans." _She spat.

Mars sliced through the neck of another monster and sank her heel into its gut, dropping it to the ground before she could follow Venus' haunted eyes.

Her bitter curse fell to the commotion that surrounded her.

On the horizon, fresh reinforcements of human warriors were streaming through the lowlands, following the same path the youma had taken. Black uniforms and silver armor glinted dully in the dust filtered sunlight, and this army wasted no time in joining the ranks of monsters, eagerly fighting along side them.

The united forces of the Moon Kingdom raised the alarm and as new swords joined the battle, the forward momentum on behalf of the warriors of the Moon slowed, and then halted all together. The Earthlings fought with a wild, seemingly untrained ferocity, but what the warriors of the Moon had in training and experience, the humans had in numbers and energy.

Human corpses began to mingle with both the fallen youma and members of the inter-planetary army, but as the battle waged on, it became quickly apparent that the two forces were at an impasse. Stuck in a stalemate, the battle raged for hours, blow being met by blow, parry for parry, casualty for casualty, and finally, the front line was a sea of corpses that blocked the path of further warriors.

By the mutual terms of war, both sides of the warring factions slowly ground to a halt and the exhausted warriors took a break from the warfare. An uneasy front was established and the two opposing armies set up camp on either side of the line.

* * *

The senshi limped their way back through the Palace.

They had resented having to leave the battlefield, they had felt guilty to return to the comforts of the castle, but their main responsibility was to their Princess. At the very least, they felt confident that the two armies that were pitted against each other were fairly equally matched and were eased that they weren't abandoning their forces in a time of need.

Sickbay had done its duty for the eight women. Some injuries took longer to set and stitch than others, but finally, the senshi had been released, and now, they were all due to the Princess' chambers. The troops that had been posted there would need to be relieved, and Serenity - both the Queen and Princess - needed to be briefed, preferably, the later with as little information as possible. Only then could the weary warriors hope for a night of rest to heal their many wounds.

The senshi headed for the Princess' quarters. As they walked, Minako stole sidelong glances at the outer senshi. They were frequently a stoic threesome, but there was just _something_ that unnerved the golden warrior about the eerily calm silence they had adopted since leaving that gruesome battlefield several hours earlier.

Minako dismissed the guards outside Serenity's private suite. With a clammy hand, she turned the knob of the heavy door.

A dark haired little girl no younger than four or five paused in the middle of her sprint across the room, distracted by the interruption. Minako was only half surprised, but completely frightened, to understand that she was looking at Saturn.

In fact, it was her Princess who caught her rather more off guard. Too focused to have noticed that the door had opened, the blonde woman caught the girl's small form in her arms with a lively giggle. "I caught you, Hotaru-chan!"

"Onee-chan," the little girl said tentatively, pointing to the eight women who had stepped through the threshold.

Serenity offered her friends and guardians a weak smile but did not apologize for her childishness. Instead, she stood tall, maintaining her hold on Hotaru.

"I'm so glad to see you all back safe and sound." She said quietly, and her shoulders slumped, as though a great weight had been lifted off of them.

Minako smiled indulgently and approached her Princess, dropping to a knee before Serenity and the little girl. "Are you Saturn's big sister now?" She teased lightly.

"I am." Serenity said matter of factly. "And her name is Hotaru-chan. There's no need to be so formal, is there?"

Setsuna frowned. Minako saw it from the corner of her eye and it struck her as odd from the normally expressionless woman. A deep green light enveloped the tall woman and Pluto stood in Setsuna's wake. She advanced forward. Makoto and Rei both clenched their fists and edged closer to their Princess. Pluto shouldn't have been a threat, but there was something unnerving about the situation.

Pluto took note of the sudden hostility and paused several paces away from Serenity and the child. She sank to a knee and turned blank, garnet eyes to the dark haired girl.

"Come, Saturn," she said quietly, "The time for your training is at hand."

The dark eyed child looked to Pluto with no small amount of trepidation. Her small fingers clutched the shoulders of her big sister's dress.

"Train her?" Serenity asked. "She has only learned how to run. How would she fight alongside the likes of you?"

A ghost of a smile touched Pluto's lips. "She is not far from finding the strength to lift her glaive. That is all we require of her."

"And once she can lift this glaive, what then?"

Pluto leveled Serenity with a cold gaze. "Then, she will be sent to Earth, where she will destroy the planet and resurrect it."

Something inside of the Princess snapped. Holding Hotaru to her, she stood defiantly. The child clutched onto her tightly. "You would _destroy_ a planet? You would send a _child_ to do something so terrible?"

Pluto looked as though she would have recourse, but Serenity wouldn't allow it. "I've lost the man I _love_ to the evil that resides there, and I would still not condemn an entire planet to _death_, not even to banish the darkness."

Serenity's voice lowered into an angry hiss. "Your plan is unacceptable."

"Then what would you propose?" Pluto asked calmly.

"I'll fight in her stead."

"Impossible." Haruka snarled.

"Then _tell me_," Serenity's fingers rubbed the child's back as she challenged each of the outer senshi, "What of Hotaru-chan? What would _she_ want?

Pluto took a careful step forward. "Her name is _Saturn, _Princess, and what she wants is irrelevant. She will sacrifice herself just by invoking her powers."

Finally understanding what hadn't been said in previous conversations about Saturn's powers, Serenity pulled Hotaru impossibly closer to her. "You mean, the penalty for unleashing her power is _death!?_"

"Yes."

Haruka and Michiru turned away from Pluto's stoic profile, their gazes cast to the floor. Serenity blanched. They had known, they had _known_ and were still willing to send this innocent child to her death. The only small consolation she could lean on was that her inner senshi were equally shocked by the proposition.

"I will _not_ allow this." Serenity hissed.

"Serenity! That is enough!" Queen Serenity paused at the door before entering the room. Despite any personal feelings on the subject, each of the senshi found themselves dropping to a knee in reverence, save for Pluto. Serenity approached her daughter with recourse in her blue eyes.

"You _will_ yield to Pluto's decision." She commanded. "This situation is out of your hands and you do not understand what else is at stake."

As though she'd been slapped across the face, the younger Serenity's jaw hung slack. All the anger and defiance she harbored drained from her body to see her mother take such firm initiative. Hotaru slipped from her hold and the young girl found her footing on shaky legs.

The child looked up to her big sister with uncertain eyes, and then looked to the calm expression of the one called Pluto. Her wide eyes bounced between the two women for some time. Pluto held her hand out towards the child and nodded. Hotaru's dark gaze darkened then, and finally, she slowly moved to join the outer senshi, taking careful, measured steps that made her seem much older than she really was. She took her place next to Pluto's side quietly.

"Saturn and I will leave." Pluto said quietly. "We will be out of touch for the duration of the next day while Saturn is trained and briefed on her mission."

In the numb silence that followed, the Queen nodded at her long time friend. Sailor Pluto vanished into thin air, and with her, Saturn. She looked at the empty space left in their wake longingly, and then took stock of her daughter's guardians.

"Rise." She commanded. "Venus, you were sent here to brief Serenity and I. Please go ahead."

With a shaky voice, Minako found herself offering her Queen her report. It fell on mostly deaf ears. The Queen already knew what had transpired on the field of battle, and the Princess was too distraught to really listen. She'd barely finished her briefing when a flustered aide swung the room's heavy door open and poked his blonde head into the chamber.

"Yes." The Queen said sharply.

"On the comm.," he said uncertainly. "A message from the Earth."

The women rose to their feet on unsteady legs. Perhaps because the action was technical in nature, Ami seemed to be the only one among the senshi capable of movement. She battled her shock and shyness and headed to the communications center on the far wall of Serenity's antechamber. A semi-transparent screen projected from an opposite wall came to life before the women, and it was Beryl's cold face that blinked into existence.

"So good to see you again." The Queen of the Earth said with a false, lilting voice. She directed her amused gaze to the elder Serenity. "What a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, Queen Serenity. I am Queen Beryl, and _this,_"

The camera panned back then, and next to her throne stood the familiar visage of a dark haired man. "This is _King_ Endymion."

"Endymion!" Pushing past her senshi, Serenity lunged forward, her hand ghosting through the incorporeal image of her lover's projection.

Beryl's head tipped back, her red hair spilling over her shoulders, She laughed heartily. "He can't _hear_ you, little Princess. He can only hear _me_. He can only see _me_. I am all that resides in his world."

His eyes dark, his expression vacant, Endymion sank to his knees, bowing next to Beryl's throne. The Queen petted his tussled hair in a familiar gesture.

Insult on top of injury was enough for Princess Serenity. After having Hotaru stripped from her, and to be shown the fate of her lover, the woman effectively shut down. Her small hands trembled. Her arms wrapped around her chest. Her legs might have given out beneath her had Makoto not rushed forward and caught the woman, pulling her safely to sit in a nearby chair.

Beryl then dismissed the Princess and focused on the senshi. "I see you've lead the charge against my minions. I must admit, you've done better than I expected."

Minako smirked. "You didn't plan on sending your human lackeys out so soon, now did you?"

The Queen of the Earth frowned and her expression belied her words. "With the strength and power Metallia has imbued in me, I don't _need_ an army to bring the Moon Kingdom down." She chuckled slightly, "But they _are_ effective to keep most of your soldiers at bay."

"Don't think we don't have plenty more troops to guard our Palace." Minako barked. "And you'll _never_ get past _us_."

"We'll see about that." Beryl snorted and then turned an antagonistic grin towards the golden warrior. "You're so _saucy_, Venus. I always did like that about you. Perhaps I can still get you and your little pet to defect together. The two of you would make an _excellent_ addition to my forces."

"I'd rather _die_ than serve you, you _witch_."

Beryl chuckled amusedly. "Be careful what you wish for, little girl."

Minako sucked in an indignant breath and her fingernails nipped the soft flesh of her palm, but her riposte was halted. Rei laid a warning hand on her shoulder. Queen Serenity motioned for Ami to cut the communication. The screen winked out of existence, but somehow, Beryl's gravelly laugh continued to roll around the room.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Serenity was vaguely aware of her mother dismissing her senshi. At one point, she was fairly certain that Minako stopped, sat next to her, and clasped her hands in her own. She said something to her, but Serenity couldn't remember what it was. Her mother cast sad eyes in her direction before closing her door behind her with a quiet click.

And then, she was alone. Completely and totally alone. And the last little piece of herself, that last little shred of hope that Serenity harbored, shattered into a million pieces and she fell, sobbing, to the floor.

* * *

Author's Notes:

This is probably the most action-filled chapter I've ever written, and things really aren't going to slow down from here. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please review!

Special Thanks:

Sporadic: Sharing customs and differences in cultures is one of the great lures of writing in the Sil Mil timeline. You should try it. You know, in addition to all those other stories you're working on. :)  
Neuro: Interesting that the ritual's been your favorite scene in ASV. I think my favorite scene was the whole of Chapter 1. Nothing has seemed to match it for me.  
Bomichan: What you got out of the ritual scene was exactly what I did while writing it. Thanks for letting me know that I hit the nail on the head.  
Sammich: Moar fanartz! I tried so hard to draw my own interpretation of the Martian ritual from the last chapter. I failed utterly.  
1010'jin: If you think _this_ is heavy, wait until you see my PGSM Sil Mil fic. Regardless, I'm honored that you like this so much, despite the dark feel to it.  
Mels: Ah, Mels. Your review was "v. cool and sophisticated." _Yes_. I did read your earlier work and I laughed all the way through it in the best way possible. It was a hilarious read.  
Disclaimed: Thank you kindly! Your review reinforced what I've been hoping to achieve. I appreciate it.  
Strangeness: You must have spent days reading to catch up between the two stories, so thank you for your time, and for your review.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 19: Don't Hesitate

The time for tears had come and gone. Michiru's eyes were red but dry. Haruka wore a warrior's expression of the calm before the storm. The two clung to each other in the room's darkness. Somehow, they couldn't fight the sense that their feelings for each other were the only thing in the universe that still made sense.

"You know that if Beryl attacks tomorrow, Pluto's plan may well fail." The Uranian's voice was devoid of emotion. "She's taken Saturn to train for the final battle, but if Metallia is here on the Moon, then having Saturn destroy the Earth won't help us at all."

The Neptunian's hand balled into a fist, curled tightly between their bodies. "If they hadn't entered another dimension, we could have contacted Setsuna to tell her that Beryl might attack sooner than we'd thought. We didn't plan for this."

"Saturn's use may be delayed."

"I'm glad."

"Eh?" Haruka paused, and was momentarily on the edge between two entirely different outcomes. Finally, her eyes hardened and her lips formed a thin, white line. "You can't second guess this. It wasn't our decision to make, anyway. Not really."

Michiru propped herself up on an elbow. Her cheeks were flushed with defiance. "But she's just a _child_, Haruka! We can't just send her off to _die_!"

"She's a _weapon_, Michiru, a _weapon_! And if she won't die destroying the Earth, then she'll die destroying the Moon. Which would you prefer?"

Tears threatened Michiru's reddened eyes and she stifled a sob. Her arm gave out and she found solace in the hollow of Haruka's neck. Even her partner's tender reassurance and soft strokes along her back did little to ease her fears.

When she could find it once more, Michiru's voice was a whisper. "Why do I get the feeling that we'll be long dead by the time that decision gets made?"

Haruka didn't have an answer for her.


	19. Chapter 19

A Single Voice  
Chapter 19: Don't Hesitate  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

They were sweaty, tired, and very, very naked. Minako shivered and Rei reached down to pull the golden sheets back over their bodies, although their sheer body warmth was enough to dispel the initial chill.

It was the Venusian who broke the mood of their afterglow.

"Rei, can you see anything?" She paused for a moment, her voice hitched, and then her words came spilling out in a sudden rush. "Have you had any premonitions? Beryl could attack at any moment. We'd be unprepared. She could-"

"Maa," the Martian moaned, "If you're still thinking along those lines, then I didn't do my job correctly."

"Rei," Minako warned testily, "You _know_ that's not-"

"Then let it go." Rei said simply.

The Martian laid a trail of wet kisses leading up from her commander's collarbone to her jaw line and Minako sighed and willed herself to relax. Her body shivered as Rei dragged her nails across her ribcage, and Minako was a little surprised to find that it was her partner who became derailed, especially after her insistence to let the topic go.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Rei's words were hot against the hollow of Minako's neck. She forced herself out of that sweet spot and raised herself on an elbow to capture her commander's attention. "Do you remember what we saw in my premonition of what might be our next battle with Beryl?"

"Don't hesitate." Minako reiterated quietly.

"And what did I tell you about hating Beryl?"

"That she feeds off of it."

"That's all you have to remember." Rei nodded and then returned to her ministrations.

Minako's breath hitched in the back of her throat. "But, this could be our last night together."

"Then we should spend our last moments together _not_ thinking about that, shouldn't we?" Rei's words were muffled against Minako's skin.

"Rei-"

"Shut up," the Martian growled, "And let me do my job."

* * *

Positive that her partner was asleep, Ami slipped out from between the glossy green sheets and pulled a robe over her body to banish the goosebumps that had spread across her skin.

She padded out of the bedroom and took a seat on the edge of a couch. Leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, she summoned her incorporeal computer into existence, and after examining the report she had opened to the top most window, she began tapping the keys furiously.

Moments later, in the blue glow cast by her computer screen, she saw Makoto's tall figure standing in the bedroom doorway. Ami closed her eyes and awaited the reprimand for working when she should be sleeping. It didn't come in the form she'd been expecting.

"This could be our last night together." Makoto's voice was quiet and forlorn, so unlike the stoic warrior Ami had grown to love.

The Mercurian didn't bother to send her trusted computer back to its incorporeal hiding spot. She rose from the couch and made a beeline for her partner. She wrapped her arms around Makoto's waist.

Ami's face softened, and she reached up to brush an errant brunette bang from Makoto's forehead. "Come on, Mako-chan, let's get you back to bed. You must be freezing."

The Jovian's strong hands wrapped around the smaller woman's upper arms and with one glance to those hazel eyes, Ami knew she wouldn't weasel out of this conversation.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what it'll take to convince you that we've done all we can to prepare for this battle."

Ami's calm façade began to crumble. She captured her bottom lip with her front teeth and her brow knitted. "What if there was something… something I've overlooked, something I could have researched harder, something I could have-"

"Stop letting the weight of an outcome of a battle we can't predict rest on your shoulders!"

The enormity of the situation pressed down on her, and the tears that Ami had held at bay slipped from her blue eyes and raced down the curve of her cheeks, and she surrendered her sobbing frame to the Jovian's arms.

Makoto sighed and Ami closer. "We've done all we can," she whispered softly, "Can't we just _be_ together, now?"

With one final whimper, Ami wiped away the last of her tears. She nodded, and then led her partner back to their bedroom.

* * *

The time for tears had come and gone. Michiru's eyes were dry and bloodshot. Haruka wore a warrior's expression of the calm before the storm. The two clung to each other in the room's darkness. Somehow, they couldn't fight the sense that their feelings for each other were the only thing in the universe that still made sense.

"You know that if Beryl attacks tomorrow, Pluto's plan may well fail." The Uranian's voice was devoid of emotion. "She's taken Saturn to train for the final battle, but if Metallia is here on the Moon, then having Saturn destroy the Earth won't help us at all."

Michiru's hand balled into a fist, curled tightly between their bodies. "If they hadn't entered another dimension, we could have contacted Setsuna to tell her that Beryl might attack sooner than we'd thought. We didn't plan for this."

"Saturn's use may be delayed."

"I'm glad."

"Eh?" Haruka paused, and was momentarily on the edge between two entirely different outcomes. Finally, her eyes hardened and her lips formed a thin, white line. "You can't second guess this. It wasn't our decision to make, anyway. Not really."

Michiru propped herself up on an elbow. Her cheeks were flushed with defiance. "But Saturn's just a _child_, Haruka! We can't just send her off to _die_!"

"She's a _weapon_, Michiru, a _weapon_! And if she won't die destroying the Earth, then she'll die destroying the Moon. Which would you prefer?"

Tears threatened Michiru's reddened eyes and she stifled a sob. Her arm gave out and she found solace in the hollow of Haruka's neck. Even her partner's tender reassurances and soft strokes along her back did little to ease her fears.

When she could find it once more, Michiru's voice was a whisper. "Why do I get the feeling that we'll be long dead by the time that decision gets made?"

Haruka didn't have an answer for her.

* * *

Mars' patrol route took her across the southern edge of the Palace grounds. As always, she remained vigilant and alert, yet somehow, she found that her gaze was continuously drawn back to blue orb of the Earth.

"Mars-sama! Mars-sama!"

The Martian turned to the call of her name and found herself surrounded by several of the Moon's troops, men who had been assigned to stay behind and guard the Palace and surrounding cities and towns while the majority of their force had been sent north to fight the youma and the human army.

"Mars-sama, we've heard that the fighting to the north has resumed. They say that more and more Earth warriors continue to come down off the pole. Is this true?"

Summoning her inner Priestess, the crimson warrior raised a hand, palm outwards, and answered calmly, though she felt far from it. "This is true," she replied, "Humans and youma continue to reinforce the resistance from Earth, but our forces are holding the line and are allowing no quarter."

A young man, not nearly older than sixteen, balled a determined fist near his chest. "But we could be _there_, aiding our brothers on the battlefield with our swords instead of walking the palace grounds, uselessly!"

"It's not useless!"

The men recoiled. The senshi of Mars was known to have polar opposite reactions in response to different criteria that ranged from eerily calm to savagely vicious, and there were even tales of a fiercely possessive side to the crimson warrior. It was clear that these men feared for themselves for having invoked her wrath and Mars could see it in their wild eyes as she struggled to tamp down her ire.

"Your posts guarding the Palace are increasingly important," she said as calmly as possible, "The northern plains will not be the only front this war will be fought on."

She looked at the blonde youth, so hungry for battle, with a wistful smile. "Do not be too eager to lay your life on the line. A warrior's sense of patience and knowledge of when his skills are needed are as valued as the experienced veteran who has a use in every scenario."

"Mars-sama," another of the group spoke tentatively, and when he was graced with a nod from the Martian, he found the courage to continue, "Are you saying that another attack is imminent?"

Amethyst eyes found themselves drifting back to the large, blue orb of the Earth. "I'm saying that anything is a possibility, and that a good warrior is always at the ready."

She frowned slightly then, for even considering how far away she was from the Earth, Mars could see a darkening storm swirling in the planet's upper atmosphere, threatening to envelop the island nation of Nippon, the nation Queen Beryl reigned from.

She had to force herself to turn back to the soldiers in front of her. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" They all snapped to attention.

"Then you are dismissed." She said curtly.

They bowed and turned their backs on her, returning their posts. In Mars' mind, she called out to them pleadingly.

'_Run, you young fools. _Run!_'_

She cut her gaze back to the growing storm on Earth, dark and roiling and punctuated with powerful lightening. It had seemed to swallow Nippon, billowing out, spreading, covering the mainland across the ocean, and enshrouding those other large countries in darkness.

Mars raised her wrist numbly. Bringing her communicator to her lips, she hailed her leader.

"Venus."

A moment later, Minako responded. "Mars."

"Are the Queen and the Princess secured in their bunkers?" Mars asked.

"Of course they are." Minako's reply was hasty, but her voice dropped off and the bustle of the Moon's tacticians was the only noise across the transmission for one, brief moment.

"Rei?"

Mars swallowed a lump in her threat. "Alert the others." She said. "Beryl's on her way."

* * *

The proverbial calm before the storm found the seven senshi silently waiting at the Moon Palace's southern most battlements. Thousands of troops, mostly warriors from the Moon's army, fell into loose formations behind them.

Emergency bulletins had been posted. In response, the surrounding cities and towns had erupted into frantic activity, but emergency plans had been well rehearsed and within the hour, the citizens that lived in the immediate vicinity of the Palace had been safely ushered into underground bunkers and safe houses. Power supplies and explosive gasses had been disabled to reduce the possibility of fires or explosions, and the main thoroughfares had been cleared of vehicles and other obstacles.

It went unspoken between the seven women that those efforts might well have been useless.

In relation to the sunspot activity, where great arcs flaring from the Sun could be seen from even the Moon's surface, the ground was already trembling beneath their feet. Electrically charged storms were rolling in from the west. Even if the underground bunkers held strong through the earthquakes that were sure were to come, if anyone survived the battle, there might be little left of the cities and Palace to return to at all.

A growing, demonic cloud that raced across the emptiness of space between the Earth and the Moon did little to reassure them that their efforts were not in vain. It seemed as though Metallia was delivering Beryl's front personally.

Carried on a dark, menacing cloud equipped with hungry teeth and beady eyes, thousands of youma were supported on this vehicle of destruction. Doubtlessly, given the wide berth the monsters gave the cloud's center, Beryl and her Shittenou had hitched a ride on it as well.

Before the warriors of the Moon had realized it, the youma had hit the ground and were rushing the streets and clogging the thoroughfares. They wasted no time in heading straight for the Palace.

Staring down the sheer walls of the Palace, blankly watching the approaching monsters, Venus waited for Mercury to calculate the exact distance of their foe. When the small woman tapped her on the shoulder, the leader of the inner senshi raised a hand above her head and then tightened it into a fist to signal the first attack.

The small Mercurian force they had kept from the main front launched its offensive, and laser guided missiles launched forth from their vantage points high on the upper tiers of the western edge of the Palace. The screaming weapons shattered buildings and ate the streets below them, but they also took hundreds of the youma down with every strike. The troops rejoiced at the sight; the young men issued hearty whooping yells and commented grandly to their comrades.

The senshi remained tentatively quiet.

Jupiter spun on her heel and squinted hazel eyes as she looked up to the battlements that hosted the force responsible for slowing the youma's progress. She started to shout to the Mercurians, to warn them, but knew it was already too late.

The ground surged beneath their feet. A fissure that started a kilometer away ran down the length of the main street outside the Palace walls and rapidly cracked the ground in front of it. The fault ran along the center of the street, hit the southwest corner of the Palace wall, and didn't even slow down for the thick, limestone walls.

"It's not going to hold." Jupiter's voice was lost to the cracking and groaning of the Palace as its western side separated slightly from its adjoining walls, and then sheered off all together. In a landslide effect, the top six stories of the Palace slid down. Taking the Mercurians with it, rubble spilled over the retaining walls, crushing the streets, homes, and shops of the city below.

A strained hush fell over the warriors of the Moon, even as the youma picked up their pace once again. Mars was the first to break the frightened trance. With a draw and a snap, one, lone fire-arrow flew from her bow, arced through the darkening sky, and slammed into the thick neck of a youma far below.

A volley of metal arrows followed. Archers spread across other battlements let loose their weapons, and the rest of the senshi aided the onslaught with elemental attacks designed to take out as many of the monsters at once as possible.

Buildings fell. Youma were crushed. The ground at Uranus' disposal buried the monsters. Mars' fire ignited their bodies and Jupiter's electricity charred them. The waters of Neptune and Mercury drowned them and Venus' light blinded them.

But the youma would not be slowed.

Scrambling over their dead and surging forward, even with the sizeable dent the senshi had made in their ranks, the monsters made it to the Palace Gates and, moments later, flooded into the Palace proper.

Venus led the next charge. Dashing from the southern walls, she raced down the battlement stairs that would take her to the ground level at the rear of the Palace. Her warriors at her heels, the seven of them met the youma; the creatures had broken through the Palace's front and streamed out its rear. They didn't care for any of the riches or wealth that the old castle had to offer. They cared only for the senshi, and those warriors knew it.

They took up battle ready positions under the thick canopy of an old oak tree, and the Moon's troops filed into place behind them uncertainly. A distant clap of thunder shook the northern edge of the palace walls to their left. To their right, where the Sea of Serenity sparkled dimly, a hazy lightening storm drifted in from the sky above the water.

The crimson warrior pressed herself to Venus' back and the Venusian chanced a glance at the Martian over her shoulder. Mars nodded. The golden warrior hung her head. They were in the same location as they had been Rei's visions.

"This place will look entirely different all too soon." Venus said.

"You know what to do." Mars said softly. "You've seen it. You can _change _it."

Unnerved by the silent monsters that surrounded them on all sides and milled around the open edges of the courtyard, spilling out of the Palace with no end in sight, Uranus initiated the first attack. It blew a hole in the Palace wall and a dozen of the youma were taken out along with it.

But their brethren did not react and only stood there, dumbly drooling, refusing to attack.

"What are they waiting for?" Uranus barked.

The sound of high heels and dress boots was accompanied by a grating laugh that could only belong to one person. At once, the senshi felt their hackles rise, and somehow, the laugh of one human woman, avatar of a dark power, could be many times more frightening that even the monstrous youma they'd been battling for far too long.

From hallways that had once been filled with light and laughter, Beryl strode through darkness before being greeted by the hazy, filtered sunlight of the courtyard. Lightening shot across the darkening sky and its blue-white light illuminated the stiff form of Endymion on her arm and the shittenou that trailed along closely behind them.

The youma parted without verbal command and several paces away from each other, the humans met the senshi in the middle of the courtyard, around the old oak tree. The silence was oppressive, but Beryl had no qualms with breeching it.

"Your Queen and Princess. Where are they?"

Uranus' building anger was thinly veiled. "We'll never tell you!"

The Queen of the Earth turned toward the tall blonde and chuckled. "I warn you now. Even you _outer_ senshi stand no chance against me. You've fought my youma and you've fought my human army. The two combined are nothing compared to the power Metallia has invested in me."

"Why warn us, you witch?" Uranus demanded.

Mars stepped closer to Venus and whispered softly to her partner. "She doesn't want to do this."

Venus nodded. "Endymion… it's her love for him. She wants to spare him… she wants one of _us_ to spare him because she _can't_!"

Beryl's jaw clacked shut. Her dark eyes seemed to harden and they cut to Venus. "You think you know everything, little girl?" She sneered. "You were _never_ a match for me. If you won't tell me where the leaders of this sorry little satellite are, trust me when I say I'll find them by myself!"

With no further recourse, Venus' sword slid from its sheath with a scream and she launched herself at Beryl, but it was Endymion's sword that met Venus' blade.

Beryl laughed and waved her hand. "You four," she gestured to the shittenou, "Take care of the senshi. Show them what powers Metallia has granted you," she growled, "But leave Venus to _me_!"

The shittenou complied mechanically. They lunged forward and this seemed to be the cue the youma had been waiting for, and the ugly creatures wasted no time in launching themselves into the fray.

The troops of the Moon Kingdom took to their previously ordered commands and drew the youma attacks at themselves as the inner senshi rushed forward to meet the shittenou with reckless abandon. Meanwhile, the two outer senshi hurried to disengage Endymion from Venus.

Uranus' talisman added untold strength alongside Venus' blade and the exiled Prince stumbled backwards. Uranus was quick to press her offensive on the human as Venus caught her breath and Neptune's attention.

"Take it easy on him." Venus said. Neptune nodded and the leader of the senshi turned to meet Beryl.

The Queen of the Earth stood calmly, a long, thin sword of glistening black metal, all too similar to the one that had controlled Mars not long ago enough, was held loosely in Beryl's grip.

"You think you can win my favor with that little stunt?"

"I don't _need_ any favors from you, Beryl."

The human found this funny and laughed as she slowly circled Venus' defensive stance. "That's good, little girl, because _Beryl _is no more."

Venus smirked and launched herself at the human woman.

OOO

"It would _have_ to be you two." Mars said with an amused, lopsided grin.

The humor took Nephrite off guard. "We're going to get you back for that ambush back on Earth, you little bitch!"

"Ambush?" Mars asked as she parried Nephrite's furious blows and shot a burning mandala at Kunzite. "And here I thought that's what you two tried to do to _me_!"

The crimson warrior met a rapid series of barely controlled swings with quick parries and a savage smile. "Besides, I think the only _bitch_ here is _you_."

Nephrite's eye twitched. He raised his arms high, aiming for Mars' head. Mars dropped her weight to her thighs and stepped into the attack, narrowly avoiding his swing while piercing him through the solar plexus with her blade. As he slid down her sword, Nephrite looked to the Martian with empty eyes.

"I should have done that the first time." The crimson warrior spat before kicking the young shittenou's convulsing body off her blade.

She then turned to Kunzite's charred but quickly recovering form, and she offered him a poorly disguised grin. "I thought Metallia gave you some impressive new powers." She taunted.

"Oh, she did. She gave _me_ impressive new powers," Kunzite smiled flatly, "Not Nephrite. _He_ was just the decoy."

The crimson warrior raised an eyebrow, but before she could blink, Kunzite was on her, pushing her back with a barely controlled strength and speed she found she could barely keep up with.

OOO

"You're not fighting him." Neptune said simply as she skirted Endymion's form.

Uranus parried a stiff blow. "I can't bring myself to kill the guy."

"You're with Venus then? What, do you think Serenity can save him? Do you think she can save all of us?"

"I don't know _what_ Venus thinks." The Uranian pushed against Endymion's sword so that he skittered backwards on his heels before she addressed her partner flatly. "I don't _know_ what to think anymore, Michiru."

Neptune pressed her lips into a thin, white line and parried Endymion's next attack.

OOO

"Normally, I would have created some great new weapon, or some sneaky psychological devise," Zoicite explained as he made several passing blows in the Mercurian's direction that were just barely blocked, "But thanks to Metallia, I've learned that brute force can be _quite_ enjoyable as well."

Mercury's strength gave out and she collapsed to the ground, but she did so gracefully, rolling backwards to relative safety before jumping back to her feet fluidly. She gritted her teeth. Her hand-eye coordination was excellent, but she didn't have the strength to continue to meet Zoicite's powerful, fast attacks. She summoned her blue visor. She needed a strategy. Even with Metallia's influence, he was sure to have a weak point.

In the time it took for the blue-tinged display to flicker to life, she stole a glance to her right. Jupiter was busily defending against Jadeite's quick sword attacks. For all that he may have been the youngest of the shittenou, he seemed to have been granted the most of Metallia's favor and it was clear that the Jovian was barely holding her ground against his quick movements.

She forced herself to focus on her own foe. Points of light exploded before her eyes and her visor's software was quick to scan her attacker's body even as Zoicite launched himself in her direction, his feet pounding the paver ground as he closed the distance between them. Mercury's cobalt eyes narrowed as she scanned her readout for anything of use.

"There!" She exclaimed. She turned to Jupiter. "Mako-chan, aim for the-"

She hadn't been nearly quick enough. Before she could relay the necessary information, Zoicite had speared Mercury with his sword, driving his blade through the small woman's center and not stopping until his hilt had slammed into her abdomen.

Zoicite found his nose nestled into the Mercurian's short hair. His frame shook. His hands released the hilt of his sword. But his dark, confused eyes stared only at the blank expression of the woman in front of him. Mercury's expression was neutral. She refused to look down, knowing what had happened but reluctant to admit it. Her gloved hands found the sword's hilt and she collapsed to her knees, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

She turned to where she last remembered seeing Jupiter. The Jovian's back was turned to her. Jadeite seemed to have eased up on his attack, but perhaps that's because his attention was on _her_, seemingly as surprised by Mercury's injury as her attacker had been.

'_They didn't want to do this.'_ Mercury realized.

That was when Jupiter's footwork had turned her position, and what she saw when she chanced a glance in her partner's direction froze her.

Mercury's expression finally registered emotion. Her brows furrowed. Her eyes narrowed. If she didn't react quickly, Jupiter would be too late to defend against Jadeite. The youngest shittenou was already making a move for her.

"Aim for the left of his chest!" She cried, choking on a thick, coppery taste of blood.

The Jovian's numb form didn't move. Not until Jadeite's sword slid through upper left arm and tore itself free. The arm fell limp and useless, hanging by only muscle and tendon. It was the only thing that snapped Jupiter out of her daze, the only thing that could make her pull her attention from the image of her lover, crumpled to her knees, a sword protruding from her stomach.

She turned then. The sword she had been holding limply fell from her fingers and clattered to the ground. Jadeite's confident expression slipped. Jupiter rushed forward. The shittenou had gauged her speed. His sword impaled her left shoulder, but not before she'd balled her right hand into a tight fist and sent every last ounce of her strength into a punch to the man's chest.

She felt it under her knuckles. It was small, and hard, and of irregular shape. Her first sent a stone that had laid against Jadeite's collarbone into his chest cavity, where it shattered under the pressure.

The young shittenou released his hold on the blade that had impaled his victim's shoulder and stumbled backwards, his hands splayed over the hole in his chest, as though he could contain the sickly green light that tried to creep out of it.

Then, he imploded into a single point of light. The remnants of the stone fell to the ground, pebbles at Jupiter's feet.

Blood ran down the Jovian's arm. It was hot. But she didn't bother to remove the blade stuck through her shoulder. She was losing blood at an alarming rate, and as Zoicite found his shaky legs and turned towards her with a wavering expression, she knew what she had to do.

She turned to Mercury. Already, she had fallen, rolling on her side to avoid falling further on the blade. Even above the din of battle, Jupiter could hear her failing breaths.

"I'm sorry." Jupiter whispered.

Zoicite charged her then, and Jupiter stood her ground. She could have laughed. She could have considered the shittenou unoriginal for delivering the same blow to her that he had served to her dying lover, but the humor was beyond her and Jupiter wrapped strong arms around Zoicite's slender frame, even as his blade pierced her stomach.

"No…" She could hear Mercury's dying breath, even as she summoned every last bit of power Jupiter had invested in her, and she learned first hand what it was like to be electrocuted alive.

One crispy body hit the ground alongside her fallen comrade, and a handful of crushed stone was lifted away on the wind.

OOO

In the battle being waged between the youma and the troops of the Moon Kingdom, the two forces had nearly extinguished themselves so that there were few left standing. Already, the nightmare battlefield had come to closely resemble the one in Rei's vision. The basalt pavers of the courtyard were torn and broken; the marble walls of the palace were shattered and toppled. The ancient oak which the Martian had sought solace under so many times was charred and blackened. The bodies that lie in the courtyard, amidst jagged chunks of stone and upturned concrete were of the countless dead; humans, youma, Lunarian, and even senshi.

Their blood mingled. And it wasn't nearly over.

Above the din of battle and the elemental blasts of the senshi that were left standing, a low rumbling gradually increased. The dusky skies darkened further and arcs of lightening forked across the sky. The limestone turrets and battlements of the palace were no barrier to its power, and falling rubble crashed to the ground, joining the heaps of debris wrought by the earthquakes. Some of it could have been the effect of the raging sun. Some of it could have been the after-effect of Jupiter's rage.

"Two down." Uranus said. "Two senshi. Two shitennou." She and Neptune stood across from Endymion, both parties leveling swords at each other, but each taking a breather before further attacks.

Neptune acknowledged the loss. "Mars and Venus know, too."

The Uranian narrowed her eyes at Endymion. "Do you think he carries a stone too?"

Neptune's eyes hardened. "Perhaps. The left breast pocket?"

Uranus nodded. Neptune skirted forward, locking blades with Endymion as the senshi of the wind rushed behind her, driving the hilt of her sword into his chest.

Endymion groaned and stumbled backwards. He fell to his knees and his hand shot to the inside of his jacket where he rummaged for a frantic moment before pulling a crushed heap of plastic from his pocket. A communicator.

The Uranian nearly laughed. "Even now, Serenity protects what is hers."

Neptune smiled fondly. "Even still, he has no stone. That must mean that Metallia's taint touches him directly."

The King of the Earth turned the broken remains of the communicator in his palm, his dark eyes narrowing at the destroyed device that seemed so familiar, so important.

"Look," Neptune said, "He's trying to fight it. He's been trying all this time."

Endymion dropped the plastic shards and seemed to shake himself from his trance. Uranus adjusted her grip on her sword. "Mars?" She asked. "Does she know the shitennou's weak point?"

"She knows. She's already trying."

OOO

Mars pushed an offensive she knew she didn't really have. Kunzite was humoring her. For every thrust, every strike that was issued, he would quickly calculate the projection of her blows and easily parry them.

"Ah, ah, Mars. I won't be taken down as easily as them," he sneered as he parried another blow, "The stone I hold is much more powerful than theirs."

"But it's not enough to keep me at bay, and yet Beryl-"

"Don't presume to understand our Queen's intentions, you barbarian."

Mars smirked. "But still, she must have much more power than the likes of you, and yet Minako is still holding her back."

Kunzite snorted. "Martians and their one track minds. That little Venusian will be the death of you, you know."

Amethyst eyes hardened. "I _do_ know. And I'm _fine_ with that."

This courageous declaration seemed to derail the leader of the shittenou and the Martian landed a lucky hit to Kunzite's left shoulder, just above his breast. With his jacket slashed open and blood spilling from the wound, Kunzite teetered backwards. His hands rested over his breast protectively.

"I'm done playing with you," he snarled, "I'm glad you can be content with your death."

He lunged forward then. Mars saw it coming, but knew she didn't have the speed to block or dodge. It was a graceful, swinging arc that came down from the lightening filled sky and buried itself between her neck and shoulder.

Kunzite grinned victoriously and in a vicious swipe, he pulled his sword free from the cavity he'd created in the crimson warrior's chest.

Mars stood on teetering legs and the leader of the shittenou turned his back to her.

"Venus won't be far behind you, Mars," he spat, "I'll see to it personally."

"That's what you think, you son of a bitch."

The voice was hoarse and raspy and filled with liquid, and somehow, it was right in his ear. But before he could turn, Kunzite felt slender arms wrap around his chest. Two searching palms splayed open across the lump hidden above his left breast, and then, his word was ignited in flames that refused to be extinguished. He was incinerated from the inside out and the stone he held turned to glass and shattered from the scalding flames.

Without the shittenou's body as support, Mars' charred and bloodied body crashed to the ground.

OOO

"Well, I'm sure this wasn't _quite_ as you'd planned it, now is it, Venus?" Beryl asked with no small amount of amusement.

Even as she parried Beryl's next blow, Venus' cast a glance to her fallen lover and she suppressed a shudder._ 'So _this_ is what distracted me.' _

She'd felt the lives of Mercury and Jupiter slip away, and though she had mourned their loss, she had not faltered in her attack and defense against her opponent.

But this was different.

A crimson warmth she could only associate with Rei slipped through the cracks of her fingers and she was left with one disembodied thought that could belong only to her lover.

'_Don't hesitate!'_

"You're getting _slow_, Venus. Do you need a break?" Beryl taunted.

Venus' body shuddered again. She felt the wounds along her ribcage where she'd been pierced by Beryl's long blade repeatedly open and close with every breath. The pain was excruciating, especially when she could compare it to the two or three gashes she'd scored against the Queen of the Earth, no more than flesh wounds that scratched the surface of Beryl's arms.

Venus' eyes narrowed as the last of Rei's aura slipped through her fingers and she finally turned her gaze back to Beryl.

"_I'm sorry, Rei. I only hope you'll forgive me.'_

"Bring it." She growled.

'_Pluto and Saturn are our only hope now.'_

The human woman smirked. She shifted her weight to a rear leg and held her sword before her. She came so fast that the Venusian thought she flew. The golden warrior watched that long blade come within range and she didn't block it, for if she did, she knew she'd never have the chance to get within striking distance.

'_I _had_ to hesitate, Rei.'_

The dark sword that slid through Venus' stomach was freezing cold, but when she felt her opponent impale herself on her own blade that she'd held before her at the last second, she felt an irrepressible surge of warmth, even as she tamped down her intense hate for this woman who had toyed with and ultimately taken away everything she held dear.

Beryl looked down to the space between their bodies. Four hands, two hilts, and so much blood.

"Rei told me I wasn't allowed to hate you," Beryl could feel Venus' distant, raspy chuckle, "But I'm not as strong as she is."

Venus tapped into the last of her strength and pushed herself forward, ramming the hilt of her blade further into Beryl's stomach. Beryl's legs gave out underneath her and both women collapsed to the ground with gasping breaths.

Beryl watched as Venus drew her last breath. Lightening flickered in the dark sky, illuminating the handful of youma and Lunarian forces still battling to the death. Soon, it would be a net-net zero, but for the civilians that lay in hiding. She could feel the blood spilling from her stomach. Somewhere during her fall to the ground, Venus' blade had been dislodged from her body. Not sensing the dark power that had guided her for so long, she felt abandoned, but somehow, she felt _free_.

OOO

"Venus…" In Uranus' moment of distraction, her eyes turned to the golden warrior's body, and Endymion pressed his advantage. He stepped forward into the opening, but it was his fist that slammed into the back of the Uranian's head, and not his blade. He dispatched Neptune just as easily and it was evident that Metallia's power within him, although not at his disposal to its intensity, _could_ be controlled when needed, for he had not killed them.

Beryl heard him before she saw him, and somehow, his rough parody of help only made things worse. Clumsy hands rolled her from her side to her back. Her head rested on the broken paver ground and Beryl looked up into dark, clouded eyes that stared at her, but didn't _see_ her.

"This isn't you, Endymion. It was never you."

He didn't respond, but she didn't expect that he would. _'Was it worth it?'_ She wondered, as her vision faded to darkness. _'It can't really end this way, can it? Not after all I've sacrificed. Where is Metallia?'_

'_When all is said and done, where is Metallia _now_?'_

She felt herself slipping through the cracks, and then, there was darkness.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I know this chapter was a little… gruesome. I didn't shy away from description of deaths or injuries. That said, ASV is almost over! Please review!

Special Thanks:

E A Simpson: Evil!Minako and Rei _would_ have been nice. And fun to write. And just as cool as Evil!Haruka and Michiru from the last season. Maybe you should write it.  
Mels: I will be the first fan of your epic. I will!  
LicketySplat: I very much appreciate your constructive criticism! I'd say that I clipped the battle of the last chapter for several reasons. I felt that if I allowed it go get too long, many readers would be bored. Battles are sort of a side dish, and I never like to make them the main focus (although this and next chapter will be the exception, since it is the last battle). I do agree that the dialogue in the last chapter could have been a little better, but perhaps I felt that the situation was becoming so dire that witty commentary might have been hard for the characters to come by. That said, I hope that this chapter was more to your liking.

OOO

Preview, Chapter 20: Into the Darkness

"It's over!"

Serenity was pushed aside by cheering men and women, dancing and jumping and slapping hands. The Princess of the Moon kingdom felt her lips tug upwards in a tentative smile at the hope she felt, but then she paused.

She felt it under her feet. A gentle rumble; a precursor to a quake. She looked up to the cracks that splintered across the concrete ceiling, ripped apart slowly by earlier tremors. Her blue eyes shot back to the screen that displayed the Queen of the Earth, who, for all intents and purposes, _looked_ very, very dead…

But the rumbling grew stronger. Bits of dust and small fragments of concrete fell from the compromised ceiling. Serenity's voice was a raspy whisper.

"It's not over. It's not over!"

She wasn't heard over the din of the celebration, and she doubted the others could even feel the beginnings of the quake. She thought of her friends, all of her personal protectors, already dead. She had cried harder than she had ever cried in her life, but now, the time for tears was over. She looked back to the tacticians, to her _people_, to the citizens she was supposed to protect. They were swarming her mother, congratulating the Queen.

'_They'll never listen to me… I have to get out there and help, any way I can!' _

With a plastic smile, the Princess of the Moon edged her way backwards slowly. People bumped their way around her, not even noticing her slow retreat over the din of excitement and celebration. Finally, she found the room's door, turned the knob, and opened the heavy, steel door only wide enough to slip her slender body through before shutting it behind her quietly.

In the dusty hallway, Serenity kicked off her heeled dress shoes, bunched the ends of her white dress in her hands, and sprinted up the many flights of concrete steps as fast as she could, her golden pigtails streaming behind her.


	20. Chapter 20

A Single Voice  
Chapter 20: Into the Darkness  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Deep in an underground bunker below the Palace, the Moon's tacticians roared.

There were whooping yells, astonished cries, and relieved sighs. Princess Serenity stood on her tiptoes, her small form darting back and forth in an attempt to get a visual of the small, portable screen that had displayed the battle above. The grainy image now showed Beryl's broken and bloodied body, lying motionless on the ground. Next to her, still and quiet like an obedient dog, the man that both Serenity and Beryl loved kneeled silently, his dark eyes vacant.

"It's over!"

Serenity was pushed aside by cheering men and women, all of them dancing and jumping and slapping hands. The Princess of the Moon felt her lower lip tremble. How could these people cheer when so many had died? Her fists balled tightly at her sides. She wanted to protest, but something made her pause.

She felt it under her feet. A gentle rumble; a precursor to a quake. She looked up to the cracks that splintered across the concrete ceiling, ripped apart slowly by earlier tremors. Her blue eyes shot back to the screen that displayed the Queen of the Earth, who, for all intents and purposes, _looked_ very, very dead…

But the rumbling grew stronger. Bits of dust and small fragments of concrete fell from the compromised ceiling. Serenity's voice was a raspy whisper.

"It's not over. It's not over!"

She wasn't heard over the din of the celebration, and she doubted the others could even feel the beginnings of the quake. She thought of her friends, all of her personal protectors, already dead. She had cried harder than she had ever cried in her life, but now, the time for tears was over. She looked back to the tacticians, to her _people_, to the citizens she was supposed to protect. They were swarming her mother, congratulating the Queen on a battle that was far from over.

'_They'll never listen to me… I have to get out there and help, any way I can!' _

With a trembling smile, the Princess of the Moon edged her way backwards slowly. People bumped their way around her, not even noticing her slow retreat over the din of their excitement. Finally, she found the room's door, turned the knob, and opened the heavy, steel door only wide enough to slip her slender body through before shutting it behind her quietly.

In the dusty hallway, Serenity kicked off her heeled dress shoes, bunched the ends of her white dress in her hands, and sprinted up the many flights of concrete steps as fast as she could, her golden pigtails streaming behind her.

* * *

Beryl's hand twitched and she groaned as though she had woken from a horrible hangover. Her eyes were unseeing; she didn't seem able to open them, and even if she could have, she knew she didn't want to.

'_How can I still be alive?'_ Even now, she felt her heartbeats, so slow, so irregular, and she couldn't fathom how the cold grasp of death hadn't closed around her.

'_How do you think?'_

The voice that answered her was all too familiar. The tears that welled behind Beryl's closed eyelids and the sobs that tried to rack her body ended in a sickly gurgle, for her torn stomach couldn't complete the motion of crying out.

'_You didn't think I'd let you die, did you?' _Metallia asked.

'_Please,' _Beryl begged,_ 'Release your hold on me. Haven't you put me through me enough?' _

'_Don't be so quick to blame me for your own desires,' _Metallia snarled,_ 'Besides, I didn't invest this much in you only to be cast aside just because you're tired of this game.'_

'_I only wanted Endymion! Not all this death and destruction!' _

'_And I told you he could be yours if you would help me conquer the Moon Kingdom. A deal is a deal. Now get up.'_

* * *

Dark clouds and forked lightening had turned the light filled, clear atmosphere she had grown up knowing into a nightmare dreamscape. As she made her way to the rear of the palace where her warriors had fought Beryl, Serenity leapt over fallen bodies; youma, human, and Lunarian alike. Her bare feet sprinted through unending pools of blood. Finally, she fell to her knees and threw her slender arms around familiar, yet stiff shoulders.

"Endymion!" She choked down the bile that threatened to rise in her throat. "Endymion, answer me!"

Trembling lips sought the ones of her lover, but he would not respond to the gesture. Serenity pulled away with wide eyes. "You're so cold." She whimpered, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I can _feel_ it, the darkness that surrounds you. How do you stand it, my love? I've never felt anything so terrible."

Serenity pulled back to find Endymion's dark eyes. "Please, come back to me."

The King of the Earth stared blankly into blue orbs that reminded him of his planet and something else he couldn't quite place. His rigid arms left his sides and rested awkwardly around the waist of the familiar woman in his arms.

'_I know her.'_

"Endymion!" Serenity pressed her lips to his once more and tried to convince herself that somehow, his flesh had warmed. "You're fighting it, aren't you?"

His arms tightened around her in response, and Serenity pressed herself impossibly closer. "I know you can fight it, Endymion."

He responded by burying his lips near her ear and taking a deep, pained breath.

"Run." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "_Run_!"

Endymion pushed Serenity by the shoulders and with wide, frightened eyes, the small woman tumbled backwards and fell to the ground, resting on a hip and supported by shaky arms.

"Run _now_!"

From the corner of her watery gaze, she saw Beryl's hand twitch, and then she was aware of strong arms pulling her to her feet.

"Uranus!" She gasped.

The leader of the outer senshi spun her Princess into Neptune's waiting arms and affected a defensive position in front of the two people left in the world that still meant anything to her.

"He's fighting it!" Serenity exclaimed, "Haruka-san, don't hurt him!"

Uranus' grip on her sword trembled. Neptune whispered to Serenity quietly. "It's not Endymion we're worried about, Princess. Metallia is moving."

Serenity swallowed a hitching sob. Beryl's fingers twitched again, her hand flexed, and then, pupil-less eyes of the deepest red shot open.

Neptune gasped. "Beryl's been completely suppressed." She confirmed. "This is Metallia."

Uranus took an uneasy step backwards. Her voice teetered between a bark and a whimper. "How do we kill a dark energy that's taken over a mostly dead host body?"

Metallia laughed, and blood burbled from the gaping wound in Beryl's stomach. _'Kill me?'_ It wasn't speech, for Beryl's lips hadn't moved, but those left alive or dying on the battlefield heard the words and the incorporeal laugh nonetheless.

'_I can't be killed, you foolish children! I am immortal - an eater of worlds and of solar systems!'_ Beryl's body tensed, and Metallia picked herself up off the ground. His eyes cold and blank once again, Endymion rose to his feet next to her. She looked to the human man and snorted.

'_I never understood what she saw in you.'_ She turned her expressionless face back to the two senshi and the Princess of the Moon. _'But prove your worth by killing this irritating Princess. Once I conquer her sorry little Kingdom, perhaps I'll let you live.'_

Uranus repositioned herself in front of Endymion, but he continued to stand there numbly, his cloudy gaze directed past the senshi of the wind to the one he'd been commanded to attack.

'_Did you not hear me, human?'_ Metallia growled, and then snorted. _'Love.'_ She spat. _'It was Beryl's downfall, and it will be yours as well. I have no qualms with _making_ you do it.'_

When Endymion remained motionless, Metallia flexed her powers, and suddenly, his cloudy eyes darkened once more. His grip on his sword shifted, and as Metallia's laugh echoed in all of their minds, he threw himself at the three women.

He pushed Uranus aside as though she were nothing. Neptune spun the Princess behind her protectively, but he dispatched her just as easily, throwing her to the ground like a rag doll. He raised his sword then, and charged Serenity.

The Princess didn't so much as blink as his sword came down. There was something… something _warm_, something _bright_, somewhere deep inside of her, and she reached for it without the slightest hesitation. A white light erupted somewhere in front of her eyes and she was forced to close them for its brightness.

When she could open them again, she found herself on her knees. Endymion's sword lay broken in half on the ground, and his head lay in her lap. His dark eyes turned a cloudy grey, and then cleared all together before he slipped into unconsciousness.

'_Did I… do this?' _She wondered.

"Endymion," she whispered.

Serenity concentrated. She had somehow managed to tap into an ability she hadn't known herself to possess, and suddenly, she could sense that darkness that pulsed all around her. She could sense that the darkness that had tainted Endymion had lifted, but that the darkness that enveloped Metallia's still form had shifted in the slightest.

Somehow, Serenity understood that Metallia's malice had turned into fear.

Metallia's voice as it echoed in their minds wavered in the slightest. _'It can't be… that ancient weapon?'_

"If you mean Saturn, then yes, you are correct."

Neptune and Uranus leapt back up to their feet, and Serenity's eyes shot to a greenish purple glow that acted as both a barrier between her and Metallia and heralded the arrival of Pluto and Saturn. And as the Princess examined the dark haired child that effortlessly held a deadly weapon larger than herself, somehow, she didn't think that Saturn was the weapon Metallia had meant at all.

There was something else at work here, something she didn't understand.

Looking to the carnage around her, Pluto cursed the confused time stream. "We were too late."

Neptune and Uranus stepped in front of their Princess and the Prince, flanking them on either side: "What do we do now?" The Uranian asked.

"We will fight Beryl." Pluto said coldly, flexing her grip on her time staff as she examined the vacant red eyes set in Beryl's blank face. "Should we fail, Saturn will know what to do. Her powers have been awakened. She is ready to fulfill her duty"

"But at the expense of those that still live here on the Moon? They'll die!"

Pluto turned sympathetic garnet eyes to her Princess. "Now you see why I chose the plan I did. To destroy the Earth would have been to save the Moon. I thought I'd chosen the lesser of two evils."

"That makes us no better than Beryl _or_ Metallia." Serenity said coldly.

Neptune, Uranus and Pluto accepted their Princess' scolding and offered no recourse. "And we're wasting time and opportunity, for Metallia seems to have stilled." Neptune said urgently, directing their attention to Beryl. The human's eyes seemed to wage war, first red, then black, the colors clashed and swirled uncertainly.

Saturn hefted her glaive in a defensive position and placed herself in front of Serenity. Then, the three eldest outer senshi turned and rushed the Queen of the Earth.

Blood pounded in their ears as Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus sprinted forward, each holding their talismans in front of them. It was a wonder they heard the words, and perhaps they may not have, had Beryl's lips not actually moved to alert them.

"Metallia's fear gave me the strength to contain her." Beryl groaned, her expression pinched into a grimace. "Kill me, now!"

Uranus didn't have to be told twice, and she found herself leading the rush, her sword cocked and at the ready, but it didn't make her any less curious, and she asked her question even as she came within range, "What's she so frightened of?"

Those murky eyes tinged red. Beryl lost the ability to speak, but she still mouthed one word, _'Please!'_

Uranus' sword entered the cavity Venus' had made earlier, and Neptune followed up behind her, placing an open palm above the Uranian's talisman, where a blast of elemental energy traveled through the blade and literally ripped Beryl's body wide open.

The resulting explosion caused Pluto, Saturn, and Serenity to shield their eyes. When they could open them again, they didn't know what to be more frightened by; Beryl's body that lay scattered across the ground in many pieces, or the broken bodies of Uranus and Neptune. Pluto forced her gaze from the grisly sight, for the other fear that waited for them was even more terrible.

A dark form, ragged and incomprehensible in its shape hung in the sky. Its edges shifted and churned, the only constants in its appearance were a gasping, toothy mouth that boasted sharp, white teeth, and beady red eyes. When the lightening lit the sky above, it's black body seemed even darker, so that no light could escape its shifting form.

"Metallia." Pluto whispered. "Her true form."

The Plutonian's hackles rose. Without the body of an avatar to contain her, the true extent of Metallia's darkness seeped from her shifting form, flooding everything it touched. And it hurt. She stole a glance to her dead comrades, both the inners and outers; so many colorful fuku that littered the battlefield. Then, she glanced back to Saturn and her Princess and knew all too well that she was the last line of defense for the Moon Kingdom as she knew it.

The Time Staff shifted in her fingers. She shut her garnet eyes and held her weapon before her. Metallia's laugh caught in her incorporeal throat, and Pluto released her powers.

O

In the eerie silence of the void of time stopped, Serenity clung to Saturn.

The Princess of the Moon couldn't quite believe her eyes. Pluto attacked, a massive power building at the tip of her Time Staff. Once released, it would hit the ethereal cloud that was Metallia. The dark energy would scream and be pushed back by the attack, but then, that powerful blast would travel _back_ to Pluto's staff, and the attack would begin anew.

"Forbidden attack." Saturn whispered.

"I don't understand." Serenity whispered.

"She's repeatedly stopping time to hold Metallia in thrall while she blasts her again and again with the power of the Time Gates."

"I've never seen such a power."

Saturn paused for a reverent moment. "You'll never see it again. Its very use is forbidden. The punishment is to sacrifice herself."

Serenity tore her eyes from the spectacle. Her hands wrapped around Saturn's small arms. "Then… her powers are no different than yours!"

"That's correct." Saturn said quietly.

The Princess felt betrayed by this eerie girl who still held the likeness of the young Hotaru. She released her hold on Saturn and lifted Endymion's head from her lap before resting his head on the ground gently. She stole a glance to her last two warriors to fall and then to the guardian of the Time Gates. Would she lose Pluto as well? She scrambled to her feet, readied herself to run to Pluto, to stop this madness, but a deceptively strong grip on her wrist stopped her.

Saturn's purple eyes were flat and listless. "I'm sorry, Princess. I can not allow you to interfere."

Serenity's cobalt eyes watered and she swallowed a sob before sinking back to her knees alongside Endymion and the girl.

"Why are you so cold!" She cried to Saturn. "What happened to that happy infant, cradled in my arms? That cheerful toddler who just wanted to see people smile? If this is all your existence amounts to, I would have none of it!"

Saturn's lower lip trembled then. Her eyes watered, and the woman she had once called big sister pulled her close into a crushing hug. Could she really ignore her duty for this one woman's whims, this woman who had been the only person to show her such affection and… love?

No. She had a duty. She had one, singular purpose. She was destined for revolution.

When Saturn could find her voice, it was small and surprised, as though she hadn't meant to speak at all. "What alternative do we have, onee-chan?"

With a bright smile, Serenity pulled back, her fingers tight around Saturn's arms. "I'll defeat Metallia myself. I'll bring my friends back. I'll save this Kingdom."

Saturn's eyebrows furrowed. "But how _could_ you?"

The two turned. The body beside them stirred, and Endymion groaned. He cracked open one, bloodshot eye. "Don't doubt her." He said to Saturn, his voice dry and raspy.

Serenity smiled at him sweetly. "Endymion…"

He managed a weak smile for the two of them and addressed the child seriously. "If you were really one of her senshi, you'd believe in your Princess."

Saturn's trembling lips turned downwards in a faltering frown. "This is… foolishness."

The forward-backward motion of time ceased, and Serenity and Saturn turned worried gazes to Pluto's battle. Metallia had been reduced to a small point of dark energy. All that darkness had been gathered into one, small space that threatened to implode, but Pluto had reached her limit and Metallia's voice rang true.

'_Only pure good can contain pure evil,' _she sneered,_ 'and you are just as tainted as the rest of this solar system.' _

"You're… you're wrong." Serenity's voice was a whisper, even as a tendril of dark energy escaped the small container that Pluto had reduced Metallia to. That tendril whipped out, caught the staff that Pluto's body leaned heavily on, and her body sprawled to the broken ground.

Like a sea serpent, that tendril snaked out. It wrapped itself around Pluto's body, and it squeezed.

Amid Pluto's tortured screams as what little was left of her quickly fading life energy was sucked from her body, Saturn stood. Resolute and with cold eyes, she looked down to her Princess.

"I will perform my duty. Metallia will regenerate otherwise."

"You can't! You'll die too!"

Saturn turned back to where the dark tendril had extinguished the last of Pluto's life. "Yes, I'll die. As will you, and anyone else unlucky enough to still be alive. But the cycle will start anew. A revolution is our only option."

The child walked forward then. She hefted her glaive in her hands and stepped over Pluto's withered body. She stood still for a moment, in front of the small, whirling vortex of Metallia's intense power.

And then she jumped in.

O

The darkness was excruciating. She floated in pitch black, the screams of thousands deafening her ears. She felt her body starting to deteriorate, even as she clutched her glaive and prepared herself to begin the revolution.

A pair of warm arms stopped her. She opened her eyes to find herself dangling in the threshold between Metallia's darkness and the world she knew. Saturn looked back to calm, blue eyes.

"If the cycle starts anew, we'll all be reborn?" Serenity asked, the question lingering in the space as though they weren't straddling the space between life and death.

"Yes." Saturn replied, mystified at her Princess' power to perform such an act. "You, your senshi, even Endymion. You have no reason to fear. You will be reunited eventually. You must let me go now, onee-chan."

"But what about the darkness?" Serenity asked softly. "Will it too will be reborn?"

Saturn paused for a moment, but knew she could not lie to her Princess. She felt the inexorable pull of the darkness tugging at her. "Yes."

"That is unacceptable. I will put an end to this, now."

"You would let it all end, then? You would let Metallia regenerate and destroy the Moon Kingdom?"

"No." Serenity smiled softly. "No. I will fix this myself. I can not allow it."

Saturn turned questioning eyes to her Princess, but could not struggle against her as she was pulled from Metallia's darkness. She felt the suction of the darkness lay claim to her, try to pull her back in. It wrapped around her, swallowed her, but still, Serenity pulled her back into the light.

O

The Princess of the Moon collapsed at the ground under the swirling vortex. In her arms, she held a small infant, wrapped in a purple cloth.

"Hotaru-chan." She whispered.

Serenity looked up to the vortex. She heard Metallia laugh at her efforts.

'_Foolish child.' _Metallia sneered.

The Princess felt Metallia gathering the dark energy around her, sucking it from the humans, from the youma, feeding and regenerating and gathering her strength. She scrambled to her feet and rushed to Endymion.

Still gaining his bearings, the Prince had pulled himself into a sitting position, and he quickly found a dark haired infant being pressed into his arms. He looked to Serenity, her urgent, yet optimistic expression causing her to glow against the darkness of the sky. He looked at her with no small amount of wonder.

"Take care of her." She requested before straightening and facing Metallia.

Endymion pulled the child close to him. "What will you do?"

Serenity seemed to ponder the question. "Metallia's wrong. There _is_ no pure evil _or_ pure good. There is only the need to be loved and the ability to be shaped by the experiences we live through. Even Metallia isn't as evil as she thinks she is, and I will show her."

"Serenity…"

She turned back to him then, and her watery blue eyes softened. She took a moment to return to him, lean down and press one, soft kiss to his lips.

"I'll see you… on the other side. Won't I?" She asked.

"Yes." Endymion swallowed a lump in his throat. "Yes. I'm sure you will."

Serenity's fingers lingered on her lover's cheek until the last possible second, but even as her body was left without his warmth, she _felt_ him there with her, even as she came to stand in front of Metallia's reduced form.

'_You wish to be sucked into my darkness as well?'_ Metallia taunted. _'Despite your courage and flowery words, you will not make a difference.'_

Serenity didn't feel the need to justify herself with words.

Her actions would prove her intent.

She nodded at Metallia, and then she jumped into the darkness.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Serenity is the last line of defense for the Moon Kingdom. Her guardians are dead, and now she shows her true colors. For this and the last chapter, she reluctantly becomes the main character. You'll notice no preview of the next chapter; I've posted 20 and 21 simultaneously. Enjoy, and please leave a review!

Special thanks:  
Neuro: It did feel a little awkward killing off Rei and Minako since they are the main characters. But don't worry, Usagi's worked greater miracles before, hasn't she?  
Mels: Have you read the manga? The manga also has a very realistic and gruesome feel to it that the anime, or even PGSM never touched on. In my opinion, the way the manga approach the battles that the senshi participated in was so much more realistic, so I tried to aim more towards that end in these last few chapters. Also, you should make me the banner. You're the one with the art skills!  
Lickety Splat: I see where perhaps the senshi could have used more of their powers in the last few chapters. I think I was quite enjoying them using different weapons. I also think that the some of the senshi sacrificing themselves by killing the shitennou was influenced by PGSM.  
Linnara: Yes. I'll be releasing another Sailor Moon fic in the near future. It'll be a PGSM Silver Millennium, with a tie in the present day. You can find out more about it at my livejournal site, which you can get to from my profile.  
Sprad: I think the ending of most Silver Millenniums seem a little rushed. Because really, the point for most authors of writing a Sil Mil isn't the ending, but everything leading up to that point.


	21. Chapter 21

A Single Voice  
Chapter 21: A Single Voice  
By: trusuprise

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon.

Serenity floated in an endless, black void.

"It hurts." She whispered. Hands that she knew she had but couldn't see pressed against her ears to muffle the thousands of screams that threatened to deafen her, or worse, steal her sanity. It was so cold and… where were her clothes? She curled her body into a fetal position and whimpered weakly, fighting the pull of drowsiness. She was so _tired_…

'_Who am I? What am I? Have I always felt so tired? So frightened? So angry and hopeless?'_

Her eyes shot open.

"No." She declared. '_Metallia wants me to fall victim to this. I know who I am!'_ Floating in the vast amount of dark nothingness, Serenity forced her body to stand tall. "I am Serenity, Princess of the Moon, and I'm here to help you, Metallia!"

A guttural laugh echoed within the confines of the multitude of voices and Serenity tried to filter through the thousands of screams that filled her ears.

'_No.'_ She realized. _'It's not thousands of screams, but a single voice!'_

She turned her body, and was undeterred when she was met with more darkness. "You're in pain, aren't you?" She asked. "This voice is yours!"

Metallia's laugh paused for a brief moment. _'What of it, little girl?'_

"I don't know what you've seen or what you've done to make you into who you are now, but I want to help you."

'_Help me?'_ That laugh rang out above the screaming again, but Metallia's voice teetered in the slightest. _'You can't help me. I don't _need_ help.'_

"Then why am I still here?" Serenity demanded.

'_My attempts at dissolving you and consuming your energy have failed,'_ Metallia spat, _'and I don't know why.'_

"You lie," Serenity touched her hand to her breast. She felt it again, that warm, bright, resonating power, the power that had saved her lover, brought him back from the brink of the very darkness that Metallia could not dissolve her with.

"_This_ is why you can't kill me, isn't it? This light. It's what you're frightened of."

'_I am not frightened. It is _you_ who should be trembling before me.'_

"And yet here I am, standing solidly. Why should I tremble when you seem to be doing it _for_ me?" Serenity took the lengthy pause as an indication to continue. "Tell me, what is this?" Her hand clenched over the warmth in the center of her chest. "Is this the ancient weapon you were frightened of?"

After an almost reverent pause, Metallia answered softly, "The Ginzuishou. Yes."

Serenity frowned. "Whatever you call it, I don't want to hurt you with it. I only want to help you."

The terrible screaming stopped abruptly and Serenity was nearly deafened by the sudden silence. Feeling eyes on her, Serenity turned and was surprised to find not the burning, red, bodiless eyes she had expected, but the soft, hazel eyes of a small child. No older than Saturn's last incarnation had been, the child tugged at the end of a knee length skirt with one hand and tossed long, blonde hair over her shoulder with another.

"Metallia?"

'_I was of this age when I became the entity that you know now.'_

Serenity's expression softened. "Shh." She said. "You don't have to explain. It's all right." She dropped to one knee and extended her arms to the child. "Let me help you."

The young girl trapped her bottom lip with her teeth and looked away momentarily.

"It's okay, I promise I won't hurt you."

The child took a tentative step forward, and then another, and then she was running into the open arms of the Princess of the Moon. Serenity closed her arms around the child and soothed her back with long strokes of her hand, allowing the girl to cry on her shoulder.

"It's warm," the child said between sobs, "so warm."

Serenity chuckled quietly. "It is, isn't it? It feels good to release all that hatred and fear, doesn't it?"

"Un!" The girl said happily.

But as the child tightened her hold around the Princess' shoulders, Serenity felt the warmth being pulled from her body, even as the darkness around them slowly lightened, fading into softer shades of grays. The child in her arms became warm to the touch, even as she felt waves of coldness crash against her.

"Is this…"

"Hmm?" Serenity asked, her teeth chattering slightly.

"Is this _love_?"

"It is." Serenity replied softly, even as she felt the child in her arms begin to lose her form and substance.

The ghostly body pulled away from her then, and the child possessed a bright smile. "Thank you." Metallia said. "Thank you for sharing your love with me. You were the first to ever do so."

The Princess smiled sweetly. "And I won't be the last. I promise."

The darkness faded completely, and along with it, the child as well. Serenity's body began to tremble as her hold on the warm power deep within her began to falter, and her eyes slowly slid closed to the brightness that threatened to blind her. Even here, in this magical place of her own creation, even behind closed eyelids, there was light.

And in that endless light, a single voice cried out.

"Everyone, where are you?"

And then, her body freezing, and her breath slowing, Serenity slipped into a light-filled unconsciousness.

* * *

Serenity was still alone, floating in the bright void.

It was so comfortable here, so easy. She felt like she had awoken from a long sleep, but was still groggy and weak as though recovering from an exhausting trauma. She wasn't cold anymore, but she couldn't feel herself or anything else either, and as her body drifted, she wondered if that was a good thing or not.

The white nothing that surrounded her was eerily similar in its intensity to Metallia's darkness, and had that same sense of awesome power that shouldn't have been tampered with. Was she being punished for using that power? Had it sucked everything out of her until she had nothing left to give?

Somehow, she didn't think so.

She felt something familiar then, a tingle at the edge of her consciousness and Serenity reached out with her thoughts weakly.

"Mother?" She called, surprised to find her voice so hoarse as though with misuse. "Mother? Is that you?" Her breath hitched in her throat. "Are you… are you dead, too?"

"No, my child. You saved me, and many, many others." She chuckled quietly. "And you are not dead, either."

This small bit of knowledge that the Princess guessed but was now confirmed came as a relief, and she felt a smile tug at her lips. "You were right, Mother. I did have a power of my own."

"You did. But this is not where you want to be, my daughter. Many of us lived, but so many more died."

There was a silence as Serenity pondered her mother's gentle words. "Mother-"

"Yes. You have seen that you have a power within you that surpasses that of all your guardians." Queen Serenity's voice was soft and soothing. "You have the power to set it all back, if you so chose."

"But it hurts, Mother. My senshi… my friends… I saw… I _saw_…" A sob racked her body as the terrible memories played over and over before her. Could she use that power again? Did she have the strength to do what her mother asked of her?

"You've extinguished the evil, Serenity. You have nothing to fear."

"But another evil could arise."

"You're right. Evil always lurks, my daughter."

The Princess' own small whimpers and sniffles were all she could hear for some time, until her Mother's gentle voice reminded her of her strong presence. "Listen, Serenity. Do you hear that? The Queen asked.

"Hear what?" The Princess asked with a pointed sniffle.

"His voice."

"His voice?" Serenity repeated slowly. "_His_ voice?"

"Shh," the Queen soothed, "Listen."

"Serenity? Serenity?"

The Princess caught another sob in her throat. Her heart stopped beating for the fraction of a second it took her to place the voice and the familiar, warm aura that she had so longed for. "Endymion," she whispered.

"Serenity," His bodiless voice was gentle and hushed, as though he were holding back tears of his own, "If we encounter any other evil, we can fight it together. Hotaru-chan and I, we're waiting for you, here."

"Endymion…"

"You know what you need to do."

Her body drifting in the light, Serenity thought of all the pain and suffering, the near death of her Kingdom and her lover, the horrible deaths many of her people and most of her senshi had faced. Could she live through it all again if need be? History could very well repeat itself.

"You told me," he said, "That we'd see each other on the other side." He paused, and tried to send every last bit of himself through the connection he had forged with her. "Are you ready to come back now?"

Suddenly, the terrible images in Serenity's mind faded, and she saw the image of her lover, kneeling on the paver ground of the broken courtyard, amid the ruin and destruction of her Palace, Endymion held an infant to his chest with one arm, and his other arm he held out wide, beckoning her to him.

She _could_ live through it. And she would _fight_ the darkness again, if need be.

"Endymion." She whispered, and she became real again.

* * *

They felt the inexorable pull of something warm and bright tugging at them. The golden-red glow of two merged souls slowly separated into two distinct auras as Minako and Rei once again found their separate identities.

"Looks like we're being summoned."

"She can't do anything on her own, can she?"

A green-blue glow also materialized beside them, their colors mingled so that it was impossible to tell where one started and where one stopped before they then separated into the two beings known as Makoto and Ami.

"It's why we love her so."

"She'll need protectors in this restored world."

A golden-blue aura appeared next, closely followed by a lone one of the deepest green.

"New world, new evils."

"Trouble finds that girl, you know."

"This time, she'll need our love, more than our guidance."

The bright, golden aura rallied her troops. "Come on, we can't leave little Hotaru-chan as Serenity's only senshi. Lets go!"

* * *

Scattered about the destruction of the courtyard battlefield, the colorful fuku that had been torn, bloodied, charred, and crushed, began to shimmer in the rapidly clearing sky.

Mars pulled herself from the sooty wreckage that surrounded her. She stood on shaky legs, no longer unsteady as they had once been from the high-heeled shoes she wore, but for the sight that greeted her.

Venus was about to tackle her.

The golden warrior jumped, seemed to fly, and she soared over the rubble and debris right into the Martian's waiting arms. The two women held onto each other as tightly as possible, each of their wide smiles pressed into the long hair of the other.

Someone snickered, and the two turned, each sporting light blushes. Jupiter aided Mercury over a large chunk of a Palace wall and Neptune and Uranus, closely followed by Pluto, skirted around the large piece of limestone.

Mars turned to look behind her. The others followed her line of sight and all of the senshi breathed a collective sigh of relief, for the black veil that had covered the Earth had vanished.

No words were needed. Instinct called to them. Together, they turned and made their way to the person that had brought them back, to the one woman who had saved not only the forces of good, but who had purified the darkness of evil.

Along the way, the senshi watched as the soldiers of the Moon Kingdom's army began to rise, pulling their unmarred bodies from pools of their own blood. Shocked and bewildered, the weapons they had held were dropped to the ground and they offered the senshi no small amount of wonder as they passed.

It was a sentiment shared by the civilians, streaming out of their underground shelters, they turned blinking eyes to the clearing sky and surveyed the war zone that their homes had become. There were tears, but many of them were of happiness as they reunited with one another and expressed their joy at simply being alive. As they sifted through the rubble of their homes, businesses and city buildings, they knew they would have to rebuild so much of their lives, but the chance to begin anew seemed to be a refreshing opportunity to all of them.

Venus saw her first, and tugging Mars by the hand, she broke into a run, knowing the others were following close on her heels, for the three figures that huddled close together at the base of an old, charred oak tree were none other than their Princess, her Prince, and the baby Hotaru.

And the embrace that those three shared was soon interrupted, but only for the better, as it became an embrace between ten people - the Princess, her Prince, and the senshi; all of them, laughing, crying, questioning, teasing, and loving.

And above the din of the intertwined bodies, a single voice cried out,

"We can try again, together, right?"

* * *

Author's Notes:

I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I promised an AU where the Moon Kingdom wouldn't meet the same end as the one we all know. Even though the Moon Kingdom almost fell to Metallia's power, Serenity was strong enough to save them in this time line, not unlike the way she's saved the world in other time lines. I think this ending most closely reflects the Sailor Stars ending.

I'd like to offer thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed ASV. This has been my most popular story since I started writing five years ago, and it's been really exciting to see that people have enjoyed it so much. I'd also like to thank my my LJ f-list - those of you in the PGSM-tachi - for their continued encouragement and general awesomeness.

As for the future, I'll soon start posting a PGSM Silver Millenium fic titled Through Their Eyes, and though it will have a different and darker flavor than ASV, I hope everyone will all enjoy it just as much.


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